


Where You Belong

by Lawofprice



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: 3rd choice, Depression, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Sexual Content, F/F, Grief, Guilt, Humor, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rebuilding, Slow Burn, angst makes the world go round, because no other ship matters, past amberprice, pricefield, there better be a happy ending damn it all
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:41:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 73,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22672717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lawofprice/pseuds/Lawofprice
Summary: She was left with two choices and chose a third. Was it the correct one? Was there ever a correct choice to begin with? The new timeline seems to say she was right, except for one little problem. Why is it rejecting Max’s existence?
Relationships: Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Chloe Price
Comments: 58
Kudos: 208





	1. Payment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo, hello and thank you for checking out my fic! This is my first time ever writing. Like ever. So comments and criticisms are welcome! I’m rather late to this fandom obviously, but am I really? No. LiS will never die. Also, mental health is very important to me so this centers heavily around. Enjoy!

Snap-flash-whirr

It took a moment for the edges of her vision to fade from the red blotches that signaled her return before she felt the dread of realization that hit her.

She was back to where this all started. And the only way to go forward was a choice she should never have to make in the first place.

She sat there, blankly staring at the gray metal bucket as the light from the window reflected off of it, listening to the low hum and buzz of the fluorescent lighting that only seemed to grow louder with each passing second until the door finally swung open signaling the beginning of the never ending week.

She didn’t even flinch at the intrusive sound or erratic pacing and mumbling that had just entered the bathroom. Her body was too heavy, and her nerves were far past fried after the events the past week had brought. Any hope or strength she had left remained back on the cliff with her best friend to weather the storm that she created, the storm that she had left only moments ago.

Max was a shell, an empty chasm, with nothing left to give that hadn’t already been taken by Jefferson, Arcadia and time itself. But for whatever reason the universe still demanded payment, and apparently the only way to satiate that debt was by taking the only person who meant more to Max than anything, and it wanted it paid in full by blood spilt on a shitty bathroom floor.

_Why... Why the fuck me, why Chloe. Why is any of this happening and what the fuck am I supposed to do that I haven’t already to fix this?!_

Her thoughts began to grow with a fury matching pace with the fluorescent buzzing overhead that only kept getting louder and louder, drowning out her surroundings.

“It’s cool, Nathan… Don’t stress… You’re okay. Just… count to three…”

_Just... Count to three_

The door swung open again signaling the entrance of a very different type of storm. One in the form of a pissed off, blue haired girl.

“I hope you checked the perimeter as my step-ass would say. Now, let’s talk bidness.”

_One_

Just the sound of her voice caused a pain and longing in Max’s chest. She had seen her only minutes ago and yet she’d never felt more distant from the girl around the corner. All the memories and experiences they shared no longer existed for her and that began to break Max’s heart. Chloe would never know how just how much she was loved. She would die thinking everyone abandoned her, thinking she was nothing but a fuck up. The sadness began to creep around her heart taking hold in a crippling vice that made it hard to breathe, all the while the hum and buzz continued to grow in a deafening song that overshadowed the argument taking place in front of the stalls.

“You don’t know who the fuck I am or who you’re messing around with!”

_Two_

Then a realization came to her as the guilt slowly started to take hold of her mind amidst the symphony of noise that wouldn’t stop no matter how hard she willed otherwise.

_This is all my fault. She’s not the problem, its these fucking powers. Why give me the power to choose if my choices are always wrong? Because I'm what's wrong, it was always me. I don’t belong here._

_“_ Don’t EVER tell me what to do! I’m sick of people trying to control me!”

_I don’t belong here_

_“_ Nobody would even miss your punk-ass would they?”

_I don’t belong here_

“Get that gun away from me psycho!”

_Fuck this_

“THREE!!”

She shot straight up, slung her bag off to the floor and rounded the corner stall facing Nathan and Chloe. Just as Nathan spun around to investigate the offending noise, she threw her camera with every ounce of strength she had left. The moment it made contact with his face the shot went off. For a brief moment it was as if all the mental and emotional hurt she’d gathered the past week had suddenly manifested into a single white-hot burning sensation that cut straight through her chest as she stumbled back and hit the wall.

Then the buzzing stopped.

And there was finally silence.

//

However Chloe had imagined her meeting with Dickscott was going to go, this was definitely not it. Everything escalated with such a speed and intensity that she was momentarily stunned into silence just taking the whole scene in as the climax of the situation seemed to hit its peak. It was apparently having the same effect on Nathan as well, because he was sitting on the floor with eyes and mouth opened wide as blood began trickling down the side of his head from the impact of whatever the fuck was just flung at him. Her first instinct when she finally snapped out of it was to high tail it out of there, then her brain finally caught up with her eyes as she focused in on the body leaned against the back wall of the room. It was a small chick with short brown hair and a pink shirt with a deer or something on it steadily becoming more crimson in color as the seconds passed.

_Holy... shit_

Somehow, she was still managing to stand, her head downcast as she leaned against the wall that was covered in blood spatter almost as if it was framing her small form in some grotesque portrait. The girl began to lift her head slowly as if coming out of a daze and focused her eyes directly on Chloe. The first thing Chloe noticed was the intense clear blue irises that seemed to pierce directly through her, and how they were half lidded with dark circles underneath them, screaming exhaustion. Her skin was almost sickly pale and dusted in a constellation of freckles, and suddenly a very overpowering sense of familiarity began to overcome her in the strangest way. Then when the girl slowly gave her a shy half grin, trademark to only one person she knew, Chloe finally understood why.

“Ma... Max. Max Caulfield!?!”

Just as Max began to slide down towards the floor Chloe sprinted forward and grabbed her before she completely buckled and lowered her down slowly.

“Max what the fuck are you doing here?! Holy fucking shit!!! NATHAN WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO!!”

As soon as the words left her mouth David bust through the door, gun drawn, and scanned the room trying to assess what the fuck was going on. He found Nathan still in shock whimpering and holding a gun staring at the two girls on the floor. The moment his eyes landed on Chloe and the girl she was holding, both covered in blood, he almost shot Nathan right then and there.

“Nathan put the gun down slowly and put your hands behind your back!” He said as he raised his gun and slowly inched towards Nathan. The boy just sat there silently watching the two girls until David finally got him out of his trance.

“NATHAN!”

At David’s yell he jumped slightly and finally dropped the gun and brought his hands to his head, whimpering an incoherent slew of words until he was finally restrained.

“David, she needs a fucking ambulance NOW! Stop fucking around with that piece of shit and help her!” Chloe screamed.

After restraining Nathan, he turned his attention back to the girls “Put pressure on her wound to try and control the bleeding until I can get an ambulance radioed in. Are you hurt Chloe?”

“N-No. No, I’m fine, j-just Max.” Chloe said, her voice becoming uneven with the drop of adrenaline.

“Max. Max stay with me David has help coming, o-ok.”

“I-Im sorry Chlo... It n-never should have b-been you. You.. you never d-deserved any of this.” Every word started to become heavier than the last.

“What are you talking about Max? You didn’t deserve to get shot any more than I did, Nathan’s just hella crazy.”

“No... I just kept... f-fucking everything up, I-It should’ve been me to begin with.”

“Max you’re not making any sense, you’ve just lost a lot of blood and need to take it easy ok”

_What the hell is she talking about?_

Tears start slowly falling from Max’s eyes as her vision starts to fade out little by little. “I’m so sorry...for everything... I love you Chloe...” Her voice was barely a whisper as her breathing went shallow and she slowly faded out of consciousness.

“H-hey, hey stay with me Max. MAX! DAVID WHERE THE FUCK ARE THEY!”

Chloe began to panic as Max’s body went limp under her arms, still holding pressure to her chest with her jacket.

_How the fuck did this happen, you can’t just fucking show up after five years and take a bullet before I even get to yell at you about it, what the fuck Caulfield!! Why are you even here?!_

Her mind was racing as she saw nothing but blood and pale skin, trying to take in her in her old friend’s appearance.

_God, she looks like hell. Even without the blood and gore she’s so damn skinny and looks like she hasn’t slept in days, what the hell have you been up to Max?_

While she was lost in internal panic, she didn’t even hear the paramedics roll up with the gurney next to her until a young man in his mid-twenties gave her a gentle, but urgent shake.

“Miss if you could gather her belongings, we’ll take it from here.”

“Fuck. Yeah, ok. Don’t you let her fucking die, you understand!”

He nods and gives her a sad smile and says “We’ll do the best we can until we can get her to the hospital. You did good work kid.”

She backed up and watched the EMTs take over as they loaded her up on the gurney gently and headed out the door as they began working on her. Chloe ran over to what she assumed was Max’s bag and began looking for anymore of her shit as she noticed the pieces of debris by the sink and realized they were parts of a camera.

_Damn she must have been hella pissed to sling her most prized possession at someone’s head especially when they had a fucking gun._

After she slung the bag over her shoulder and grabbed her jacket off the floor, she headed out the door only to be greeted by a very pissed off looking David talking to the local police. He swung around when he caught sight of her and she could almost see the blood vessels popping under his skin.

“Chloe what the hell happened and why were you even here in the first place, do you even realize that could have been you on that gurney?!” He yells as he leans in towards her blocking her path to the exit.

“Back off step-fuck I don’t have time for your shit right now, and the reason I’m not on that fucking gurney is because my childhood friend took the fucking bullet, so if you’re done being an asshole get out of my way so I can head to the hospital.”

He eased his expression at the news of Chloe’s connection to Max and relaxed his stance. Despite all their bickering he actually cares for her and was relieved beyond words when he discovered she wasn’t the one injured.

“Look, Chloe I’m sorry about Max, I didn’t know you two knew each other.” He states with a softer tone, “but all I could think about was how devastated your mother would be when I saw you in that bathroom covered in blood with that punk ass Prescott holding a gun. I was just worried about you Chloe, regardless if you want to believe that.”

Honestly, she’s a little taken aback by his sudden demeanor change, especially since he actually kinda came off as sincere but fuck if she’s gonna waste time on that right now.

“Right, I’m sure you were David.” She says as she rolls her eyes “but look I really need to go to the hospital and call Joyce so if we could continue this little heart to heart another time that’d be great”

“Ok, just be careful please.” He sighed dejectedly and stepped out of her way as she bolted through the door. Once she made it to the truck, she threw Max’s bag in the floorboard, lit up a cigarette and spun out of the parking lot in a cloud of exhaust headed towards the hospital.

//

The only sensation she could recognize was cold. A type of cold that wraps around you and cuts deep in your bones. Aside from the cold there was only darkness, she had no sense of self, up or down, left or right, only a deep void of silence where the minutes ran into hours that ran into days. It felt like her consciousness was simply floating in a nothingness that had no beginning or end. But it was quiet, and for that she was thankful at least.

**_Oh, you really fucked up this time didn’t you hahahahaha_ **

_What_ _? Who are you and what do you mean by that?_

**_You know exactly who I am, don’t play dumb. We’re in this together after all, we always were, unfortunately for me._ **

_No,_ _I don’t, who are you?_

**_Give it a break Maxine, we already had a little heart to heart at the diner remember. Till we were rudely interrupted by your precious punk bitch. Now it’s just you and me. Get comfortable cause we’re gonna be spending a lot of time together, especially after you decided to go rogue with the universe and do things your own way. Selfish as always, I see._ **

_Wait, you’re the one from my nightmare, aren’t you? What are you doing here, and where is here exactly?_

**_Stop avoiding the problem Maxine, you fucked up and now we’re in a void of your own making. Just couldn’t let her die like she was supposed to could ya? And now here we are. You really think losing your shit and getting shot after your little temper tantrum is going to fix things?_ **

_No_ _, fuck that, she didn’t deserve any of this. If things are just going to go to shit anyways the least I could do was try. I deserve this not her._

**_She made her decision Max. She manned up and bit the bullet and trusted you with her choice and you just threw it away because YOU couldn’t deal with it._ **

_She didn’t want any of this, she was fucking forced into whatever this little game the universe feels the need to play. I couldn’t let it end that way, it’s not supposed to end like this, not for her. It should have been me all along._

**_Bullshit, you don’t get to decide. How many choices are you going to make for her? Did you ever even give her a fucking choice to begin with? No. Because you’re a selfish bitch that has to have things your way. Everyone has decisions they have to make, that’s how fate works. But of course, you had to interfere with everyone’s destiny and make the choices for them, all because you weren’t happy with the outcomes. NOT EVERYTHING IS ABOUT YOU MAXINE. How many lives and realities have you fucked up because you couldn’t just mind your own fucking business?!_ **

_Fuck you!_ _I was only trying to help! I didn’t ask for any of this so don’t fucking blame me! I did the best I could... It doesn’t matter now anyways. I’m dead and fate can sort itself out now so you should be happy._

**_Happy? Oh, that’s fucking rich. Sure, let’s just take the easy way out and let everyone else deal with the consequences, are you fucking kidding me right now? Oh no, this is far from over, now it’s your turn to deal with the consequences and be absolutely helpless like everyone else. Now you get to sit back and be the one to suffer. I think it’s the least you deserve don’t you think?_ **

_Wait, what do you mean? This was all because of these stupid fucking powers, it had to be. I died, this should all be over since the anomaly that is my fucking life has been removed._

**_You know I might actually be inclined to agree with you for once if not for one little problem. You’re still alive dip-shit. Couldn’t even get that right, could we? No Max, it’s not over yet, and since you can’t give up little miss bitch, you’re going to have to finish what you started when you decided to play catch with a bullet. So fix it when you wake up from your little beauty nap._ **

**** _Fix it?_

**_Yes, Max, fix it. You don’t belong there, and the longer you prolong it the worse it’s going to get, and the more pain you’re going to bring those around you. And we all know you’ve caused enough damage to last a lifetime already._ **

**** **_//_ **

**** She hadn't been sitting in the waiting room very long before Joyce came barreling through the door with a worried expression on her face.

“Chloe! Oh Chloe, how is Max? What happened?” Joyce said as she made her way across the room bringing her daughter into an embrace.

“I don’t know mom, they won’t tell me anything other than she’s in surgery.” Chloe sat back down as her mother did the same next to her. The initial adrenaline high had worn off long ago and now she was beginning to feel the effects of the day as she was trying to collect her thoughts.

**** _I didn’t even know Max was back in town. School’s been started back for at least a month and she didn’t even bother to contact me. I shouldn’t be surprised, what’s another month on top of five fucking years._

_“_ How did this happen and what were you doing at Blackwell in the first place, do you realize that could have been you?” Her mother’s words brought her out of her thoughts.

“I don’t know why Max was in there, hell I didn’t even know she was back in Arcadia Bay. I had something I needed to take care of and I didn’t know Nathan had a fucking gun ok? I’m really not in the mood to argue about this right now so can we please just drop it?”

Wanting to avoid a potential shouting match in the middle of the hospital, Joyce just sighed and laid back in the chair and did the only thing they could which was wait.

About two hours later a doctor in his 40’s came through the double doors of the OR and brought both women out of their silence. He looked tired and over worked but not necessarily upset which Chloe took as hopefully a good sign. She stood up abruptly along with her mother and hesitantly made her way toward the doctor, unable to bring herself to ask the one question on her mind: _Is she alive?_

Before the words could formulate, he began speaking to Joyce “Are you family of Maxine Caulfield?”

She shook her head as she began speaking “No, family friends, her mother and father are in Seattle, she’s here for school” she looked up at him and continued “please, how is she?”

“I’m sorry but I can’t give you any details on her condition unless you’re her immediate family, do you have any contact information on her parents so I can notify them as soon as possible?”

“Are you fucking serious?” Chloe cut her mother off before she could answer “we’ve known her since she was a fucking kid, you could at least let us know if she made it through surgery!”

“Chloe! That’s enough,” Joyce turned back to the doctor “I’ll give them a call and put you on the phone so you can speak with them.” she gave her daughter a stern look and turned back to her purse sitting on the chair and pulled out her cell phone. After a few short rings she finally got someone to answer. “Hello? Vanessa?” she began “Oh it’s good to hear you too, but I’m afraid it isn’t under the best of circumstances. Listen something’s happened concerning Max and were in the hospital, hold on and let me put you on with the doctor honey.” She handed the doctor the phone and stood back to listen alongside her daughter as he began speaking.

“Mrs. Caulfield? Yes, hello this is Dr. Wright at Arcadia Bay General.” he began walking away out of earshot as he spoke until he was back behind the double doors again.

Joyce looked to her daughter and gave her a pointed glance that softened as she dropped her shoulders and sighed “Choe, I understand you’re worried about Max but you can’t just take it out on everyone around you. It’s not gonna to do any good to get thrown outta here before we even know what’s going on.”

Chloe furrowed her brows as she pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a slow breath “I know, it’s just this all happened so suddenly that I don’t really know how to process it all. One minute she’s been out of my life for five fucking years without a word and the next she’s bleeding out on my lap apologizing all the sudden. I don’t know how to feel about all of this.”

“I know sweetheart, this is a lot to take in and Lord knows how Ryan and Vanessa are feeling right now. We’ll figure it out, but I just need you to keep a cool head in the meantime, especially when her parents get here, they don’t need any more stress right now and we need to do our best to be there for Max.”

As soon as Joyce had finished her sentence Dr. Wright walked back through the doors approaching them. “I spoke with the Caulfield's and they gave me approval to update you on Max’s wellbeing until they can arrive later in the day. Now, that being said, you can go back to her room and wait with her as long as I have your word you won’t be causing any disturbances for my staff or other patients.” He finished and turned his attention to Chloe.

She looked down at her feet and nodded silently as he continued. “Good. She’s in stable condition and the surgery went without problem. The bullet passed straight through and managed to miss anything major and aside from serious blood loss and the possibility of nerve damage due to the extent of the exit wound, she should heal up without issue. Aside from the bullet wound she does seem to be slightly malnourished and dehydrated, so we’ll have her on fluids and monitor her until discharge.”

He turned around and waved them both through the unit’s entrance and showed them to the nurse’s station to sign in. Once they were finished signing, he led them to a separate hall and showed them to Max’s room. Before they entered, he stopped and told them she might be unconsciousness anywhere from a few hours to a few days due to her physical exhaustion as well as trauma. Joyce thanked him and they made their way into her room.

Chloe didn’t quite know what she expected to feel when she finally got to see Max. As she explained to her mother earlier, it had been over five years since the two had even spoken to each other and a lot had changed in that time. That feelings of abandonment and anger were still there, but were pushed to the background temporarily when she laid eyes on the girl’s small frame laying in the bed before her. To say she looked like shit would be an understatement. Her brown hair, much shorter than it was from her childhood, was tangled and matted in dried blood around her face. She had dark circles under her eyes and her skin was a sickly pale that only got worse from the blood loss she endured on the way to the hospital. Even sedated she looked as far from peaceful as you could get with slightly furrowed brows and gray lips formed into a tight line.

She moved to the chair next to the bed as she took her appearance in. Despite her rough exterior, it wasn’t hard to see that Max had grown into quite the looker. She had a delicate quality to her that gave her a certain innocence, and of course her trademark freckles that were always fucking adorable.

_Well Max, here we are, five years later and you’ve changed so much. Did you know that was me in that bathroom? Is that why you did what you did? How can you be a complete badass like that and yet not once pick up a phone? And why do you look like you’re on your last fucking leg, seriously dude when’s the last time you had a nap?_

In the midst of her thoughts the door opened and David walked in cautiously and motioned towards Chloe “Chloe, officer Barry is in the hall way and needs a statement since you were a direct witness in the shooting, he also has some other questions in regards to some.... recent discoveries involving Nathan.” He finished that last bit with some hesitance that didn’t go unnoticed.

“What do you mean ‘recent discoveries’? And what the hell does it have to do with me?” She asked as she narrowed her eyes at him.

“Barry can explain all that when you speak with him, he’s out in the hall waiting for you.”

She waited a moment then let out a breath and got up from the chair and went for the door. When she left the room, he was waiting down the hall by the nurse’s station. He waved her over and at the direction of one of the nurses they were brought into a small break room around the corner. He motioned for her to take a seat as he shut the door and went to the other side of the table.

“Ok Chloe, we both know why we’re here so let’s just skip the pleasantries. Can you tell me what happened in the bathroom and why you were there when you’re expelled?”

_Ok, let's just try an avoid and the drug dealer debt stuff, yeah let’s definitely not talk about that._

She shifted a little in her chair and let out a deep breath “Look, I went to try and talk to Nathan about Rachel and if he had any information on where she went.”

“You mean Rachel Amber? What made you think he knew anything about her?”he looked questioningly.

“She was a member of the Vortex club and I figured if anyone knew anything about why she disappeared it might be him; he was obsessing over her before she disappeared and he seemed like a decent lead. Anyway, he started getting hella agitated and wouldn’t calm down. Next thing I know he pulls out a gun and starts pointing it at me.”

“Ok, and how does Max Caulfield play into all of this?”

“I honestly don’t know, I thought we were the only ones in the bathroom and then all the sudden she comes around the corner and throws her camera at his face and the gun goes off. She never had anything to do with this so I don’t know why she would do that, I didn’t even know she was back in town”

“How do you two know each other?”

“She used to be my best friend until my dad died then she left for Seattle that same week with her parents, we haven’t spoken in five years since then.”

“So, someone who hasn’t seen you in five years just pops around the corner without recognizing you and takes a bullet just like that?” He says, obviously not convinced.

“You’re just as fucking surprised as I am, it took me a minute just to even realize who the hell she was.”

“Alright, so back to why you were speaking with Nathan to begin with, are you sure it was only to ask about Rachel Amber?”

_And blackmail, definitely blackmail._

“Yes, like I already told you, that’s the only reason”

He leans forward and shuffles around in his folder and slips out a piece of paper and slides it across the table.

“Can you tell me what this is about?”

She takes the paper from the table and looks it over taking in the details, and her face drops once she realizes it’s a picture of herself in the fetal position from the night Nathan drugged her after her first attempt to question him.

_Well shit._

“I-I, where did you get this?”

“After we took custody of Nathan, we got a search warrant to raid his dorm room and we found this, amongst other similar pictures, as well as drugs throughout this room. Can you tell me why he has this?”

“Shit... I-I uh.”

“Look this is turning out to be something far more than just a school shooting. We gained access to his school records as well and although they’re still being processed through evidence, from what we’ve found so far, it’s not looking good to say the least. We need to know what happened here Chloe.”

“Ok... I went to a shitty dive and noticed Nathan sitting at the bar. He was pretty fucked up and I figured it would be a good time to pry for information about Rachel. He bought me a drink or two and we started talking but he seemed to out of it to give me any info. After an hour or two he went to get up to leave but he could barely make it to the door much less drive so I decided to take him back to his dorm in my truck. When we got back, I dragged him to his room and when he finally got the door open, I walked him to his bed. All the sudden he swings around and I felt something sharp in my neck and everything started to spin. I vaguely remember seeing flashes and hearing clicks. When I finally regained enough consciousness to move, I saw his creepy ass standing over me taking pictures. I tried to kick him but missed and ended up hitting his lamp over. While he was cussing about that I stumbled my way up and ran for the door and out to my truck as fast as I could.”

“Did he... did he violate you in anyway?”

_He’d already be fucking dead if he did._

“No, my clothes were still on just like I remember and nothing seemed to be out of place.”

“And is that why you told him to meet you in the bathroom?”

“Partly, yeah. I figured I could black mail him into giving me information about Rachel. I told him if he didn’t then I’d let everyone know what a fucking wack job he was. Obviously it didn’t work like I had planned.”

“Alright, I think this is enough for now, thanks for being honest about all this, and I’m sorry you had to get caught up in it but I think this is going to help a lot with our investigation. And I don’t know much about your friend Max but she seems like someone you might want to consider keeping in your life.”

“Yeah, well she didn’t want to keep me in hers for five years so we’ll see how that goes.” She finished, slightly more bitter than she had intended.

He gave a thoughtful nod and got up from the table to head to the door with Chloe close behind. Once they were in the hallway he went towards the exit and Chloe leaned against the wall taking a moment to process the direction the conversation had taken.

_Well that went better than expected, but still... What the fuck?_

Once she gathered her composure, she shoved herself off the wall and rounded the corner back to Max’s room.

_I don’t know what’s going on here Max, but I really need you to wake your ass up soon. You have a lot of explaining to do._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnndddd that’s a wrap! Thank you so much for giving it a chance! I’ve been working on this all month and honestly I’ve been too nervous to post it. So while I’ve been wallowing in self doubt I’ve finished like 8 chapters in case anyone wants to stick around :P


	2. Reunions

Max’s parents showed up the night she was brought in after hours of driving. It was odd for Chloe seeing the Caulfields again after all this time. A large part of her wanted to shout and scream at them for taking Max away at such a shitty time in her life, but she knew they didn’t do it on purpose, it wasn’t their fault, just really bad fucking timing. Max is the one that chose to cut contact, and her parents weren’t to blame for that.

“Joyce?” A rather large bearded man asks as he enters the room with a petite woman trailing closely behind.

“Oh Ryan! Thank God y’all made it safely. Hello to you too Vanessa.” Her mother says as they exchange hugs and teary eyed glances.

“Oh Maxine.” Vanessa stops and covers her mouth as her eyes land on her daughter’s unconscious form. “How did this happen?”

This is the point Chloe figures it’s her turn to speak up. “She was in the bathroom at the school when that dick Nathan Prescott decides to pull a gun while we were in an argument. I don’t know what she was doing in there but the next thing I know she was coming around the corner like a camera wielding badass and surprised him right as he pulled the trigger.” She finishes and looks down sheepishly rubbing her neck as their attention turns to her.

It must have been a surprise seeing a blue haired, tatted up punk looking out of place on the other side of Max’s hospital bed, because it was a long couple of seconds before either one of them spoke until recognition finally set in.

“Chloe Price? Wow, we almost didn’t recognize you!” Ryan says as he walks around the bed to take her into a big bear hug. When he pulls away he holds her at arms length taking stock of her and all her punk glory, “love the new style, fits you nicely.” He finishes with a small smile.

“Why was he in the girl’s bathroom in the first place?” Vanessa speaks, cutting off the reunion.

Chloe sighs and looks down “That’s my fault, I wanted to ask him some questions about a friend who went missing and he lost his shit while we were arguing. I didn’t know he had a gun or that Max was even in town in the first place, I swear.”

“Oh, we’re not blaming you Chloe, just really surprised is all. This has all just come as a big shock, especially considering Maxine has always been the type of person to shy away from trouble. The last thing we expected was to hear she had thrown her camera at a boy’s face, one holding a gun no less. She has trouble stepping out of her comfort zone on an adventurous day.” She says as she starts to tear up.

“You’re just as surprised as I am trust me” Chloe says as she glances towards Max.

Ryan walks over to his wife and pulls her close “Well if I had to guess, she would only do that for one person, and that person just happened to be in the same bathroom at the time.” He looks at Chloe thoughtfully.

“Mr.C, I haven’t seen or heard from Max in over five years, shit, I didn’t even know she went to Blackwell until this happened. How could she have possibly known that was me after all this time?”

He looks at her sadly and continues “ Chloe even though we moved she never forgot you. I know it doesn’t seem like it with how little she kept in touch, but Lord knows we watched her beat herself up enough for leaving you. She withdrew and consumed herself in photography as a distraction I think. As shy as she is I think she was just scared. You were the one who always brought out her confidence.”

“Yeah, well five years is a long time to be scared without so much as a phone call.” She scoffs.

“I’ll leave that to you two to sort out, but thank you both for being here. It means a lot to the both of us.” Ryan says as he places an arm on Chloe’s shoulder.

“Max will always be family Ryan, that will never change.” Joyce cuts in.

“Well, you two go on home and get some rest, we’ll keep you updated if anything changes.”

And with that Joyce and Chloe made their way out the hospital and headed home after what felt like one of the longest days of their lives.

//

Friday Oct 11

It’d been four days since the shooting at Blackwell and Max still hadn’t woken up. The doctors keep saying it’s her body just trying to heal and play catch up from the physical exhaustion she was under on top of her injury.

Chloe checked back periodically with the Caulfields throughout the week only to be greeted with the news that Max was still unconscious. Arcadia Bay had essentially lost its mind over Monday’s events involving the shooting and the Prescotts. Nathan had a mental breakdown and basically spilled everything about the school’s photography teacher, Mark Jefferson, and whatever shady shit they were involved in. What that entailed was still to be determined since the police had yet to release any details. Blackwell completely shut down and a thorough investigation was taking place in the meantime. Even Principle Wells was placed on administrative leave indefinitely since it came to light he was accepting bribes and covering up school records involving Nathan.

_Karmas a bitch ain’t it asshole_

Chloe chuckled to herself as she sat at the Two Whales scrolling through a recent news feed. It was Friday evening and still no update on Max’s condition. With all the shit stirred up in town and all the students being mandatorily evicted, her own investigation on Rachel was put on hold. Chloe couldn’t help but think how much of a kick she would be getting out of all this drama if she was here. While she was lost in thought she almost jumped out of her seat when her phone rang. It was Ryan. Max was finally awake.

//

The bright lights and sporadic beeping of machinery were the first things Max registered as she finally regained consciousness. While she was fighting her disorientation she looked around the room trying to piece together what was going on and why she was here.

_Oh, the bathroom? That’s right I went back again._

She went to move forward and was caught off guard at the sharp pain pulling at her chest and through her back. It caused her to take in a sharp breath as she gently laid back down against her bed.

_Yup, that hurts. That would definitely explain why I’m in a hospital room. Oh yeah, Nathan. He shot me. Wait. What day is it?_

She glanced around trying to find any indication of the date. Her eyes wandered to the window and she saw a deep purple sky, cloudless and peaceful. She sighed in relief, taking that as a good sign even if only momentarily.

_Ok, so let’s recap. Nathan shot me, I don’t see any indications of a storm, yet anyways. Chloe is… shit what happened to Chloe? And, wait, that other Max said something while I was…. Sleeping I guess? Was that real or another nightmare?_

**_Oh I’m real Maxine, and I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. What I said still stands, don’t get to comfortable._ **

_Great, I’m stuck with you in my head now? What do you want from me?_

**_It’s not what I want, it’s what the universe wants. We already talked about this so don’t make me repeat myself._ **

_You’re fucking crazy, you’re probably not even real, just my mind making me doubt myself._

**_Yeah, I’m the crazy one. Oooookay, well you take your sweet ass time. You’ll see, but don’t wait too long Max, you won’t like what you’ll find._ **

_Fuck off, I’m not dealing with this, get out of my head._

She didn’t get a reply as the door opened and her father walked in the door holding a cup of coffee. He glanced up and his eyes went wide when he saw his daughter staring back at him.

“Maxine! Oh thank God, we were wondering if you were ever going to wake up” he quickly walked over to the bed and sat the coffee down and leaned over to hug his daughter. “How you feeling kiddo?”

“Uh, not good, but not that bad surprisingly, I feel like I should feel worse.”

“You actually got really lucky, the bullet went clean through and somehow missed all the important stuff by millimeters. Your little nap did a lot to speed up the healing process, kept you from moving around too much.”

“Wheres mom?” She asked.

“She’s on her way back up, she needed some air for a bit. Enjoy the quiet because you know she’s gonna freak when she gets back in here.” He chuckled.

“Yeah I figured as much” she let out a sigh. “How is Chloe? She didn’t get hurt did she?”

“No, she’s fine, I’ve been keeping her updated. I think she’s more confused than anything.”

“I imagine so, I haven’t seen her since I’ve been back so I’m sure that was a shock.”

“Yeah she mentioned that. Look I’ll be honest, she wasn’t exactly thrilled knowing you were back, she’s pretty upset you never contacted her after we left.” He looks at her sadly.

“I know, I just- I need to talk to her, let her know I royally fucked up.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and fell back into the bed.

“You do sweetheart, but that can wait until tomorrow. I’ll give her a call and let her know you’re back in the land of the living and you two can hash it out tomorrow. You need to rest right now though and you already know you’re mom is gonna cause a scene.” He laughed.

“Oh dog don’t I know” she rolled her eyes.

As if right on cue the door opened to reveal Vanessa holding a cup of coffee as she turned her back to close the door without looking up. Once she turned around and her eyes locked on Max and her husband she dropped the beverage.

“Oh Maxine! My baby is awake!” She started crying and pulled Max in to a crushing hug.

_And here we go *internal eyeroll*_

_//_

Chloe was relieved when Ryan suggested coming to visit the next day. She was glad Max was finally awake and that she was doing ok, but she still had no idea what she was going to say when she finally saw her. A large part of her was still pissed off at her for bailing, and even though she was grateful for Max saving her life, that kind of hurt didn’t just go away overnight. Aside from that, she was was genuinely curious at Max’s involvement with Nathan was, if she even had one. She kept replaying what Max had said to her before she passed out. She couldn’t figure out what she had meant when she said she had started rambling about Chloe not deserving something or about how it should have been Max.

_Was she talking about what Nathan did to me in his dorm room? But how could she know that, I never told anyone that before officer Barry. Maybe she got Nathan to talk?_

All the questions had been irritating to say the least. She must have worn her irritation on her face because Joyce was headed her way with a look of concern on her face.

“What’s got you all worried Chloe?” She said as she sat down across from her.

“Ryan called, he said Max woke up a little while ago.”

“Oh that’s great news! I know they’ve been worried sick over her. I figured you’d be happy about that?”

“No, it’s not like I’m not. I just- I don’t know, what am I supposed to say to her after all this? She kind of stormed back into my life, just like ‘hey, sorry I abandoned you, let me save your life now’ ya know? I’m still really pissed off at her.” Her brows furrowed and she looked away.

Joyce sighed “I know you’re still mad at her hon, but just give her a chance, you at least owe her that much.”

“Yeah, well I don’t like owing people, I didn’t ask her to do that. But I get what you’re saying. I’ll figure it out tomorrow, I’m gonna head home now.” She finished as she went to get up.

“Ok Chloe that’s all I ask, now go get some rest and we’ll go to the hospital together tomorrow. And try and clean your room up a bit, it’s startin to smell like an ashtray up there.” She chided.

“Yeah yeah, whatever.” She waved her off as she opened the door to leave.

Before she left she looked up in the sky as the stars started to make their appearance and took a drag of her cigarette.

_I hope you have some answers for me Max._


	3. Rude Awakenings

The day began a little more intensely than Max would have liked. She had spent the better part of the past hour arguing with her parents about her future at Blackwell and so far they were at a stalemate with each other.

“Maxine, I know you worked hard to get in to this school, but we don’t feel safe leaving you here with everything that’s happened. You got shot for Christ sakes!” Her mother said sternly.

“Mom, that was a freak accident, Nathan had problems for years and never got the help he needed! The principal who covered it up, is suspended and Nathan is locked up, Im not in danger anymore!” She argued.

“And what about that teacher he was involved with? He was drugging students Max, how can anyone trust the faculty after this?”

“He’s locked up too mom, and not all the teachers are psychos, a lot of them are really great people.”

“That Jefferson was your photography teacher, the whole reason you came here in the first place. What reason do you have to stay if they don’t even have the class you moved here for?”

“My friends mom! You can argue all you want but I’m not leaving. I have people I care about here and I’m not gonna let one asshole with a gun scare me off, if I leave then he wins. I don’t wanna run from things anymore.” She finished, getting increasingly more frustrated when her dad finally chimed in.

“Max honey, do you really feel like if you leave it’ll mean you lost to him?” He asked seriously.

“Yes, I do. I worked hard to get here, I finally came out of my shell and met some amazing people and did things I never thought I’d have the courage to do. If I leave now, it’ll all be for nothing. I don’t want to runaway from things anymore. I’ve done that for the past five years and look where that got me.”

He sighed and looked at his wife “Vanessa…”

“You aren’t seriously considering this?” She looked at him with a disbelieving expression.

“Honey, I don’t like it either, but she’s right, look how much she’s grown in just this short time. I’ve never seen her this passionate about anything. We can’t just hide her away from the world when something bad happens, no matter how much we want to.” He said pleadingly.

“I don’t like this Ryan, what if something else happens? I don’t like taking that risk.”

“Mom, nothing is going to happen, I just need you to trust me. I promise I’ll take care of myself, no more super Max. I just want to enjoy my last year of high school with my friends on my terms.”

Her mother sighed and rubbed her head. After what seemed like and eternity, she finally looked up with a defeated expression and turned to her daughter.

“Fine, but I mean it Max, no more crazy stunts. And I expect you to keep in contact with us a lot more frequently, don’t give me a reason to regret this.” She turned to her husband and shot him a pointed glance.

“Thank you! And I promise, I won’t make you regret this.” She smiled at her victory.

“Well we’re gonna go and head back to the hotel to start getting packed up, the doctor said you should be ready for discharge in a day or two and we’re both running low on our PTO days. If he says everything is alright we might leave tomorrow.” Her father went to stand.

Max only nodded, not wanting to say anything that might break the fragile atmosphere of her victory. She didn’t want to lie to her parents, and majority of what she said was true, but she had other reasons for staying she couldn’t explain. She wouldn’t leave Chloe again for one, and until she made sure this timeline didn’t have any repercussions, there was no way she would be leaving anytime soon. She still wasn’t sure how to go about talking with Chloe, in this timeline she was still pissed her best friend had ghosted her, and as much as she didn’t want to admit it, other Max was right, she would need to tread lightly. Max had debated just telling her about her powers, but if push came to shove she wasn’t sure if she even still had them or if she would be willing to demonstrate. Then there was the issue of Rachel Amber. The news had reported very little of Nathan and Jefferson’s extracurricular activities and it was still unknown if Rachel had been found yet. Chloe was going to be crushed, that much was for certain, but Max didn’t know if it would be better to tell her or just let it play out on its own.

_Ugghh I thought I was done with all these shitty decisions. I can’t think of anything to say that wouldn’t make me sound completely crazy._

She didn’t get to think on it very long as she heard a small knock followed by the door opening revealing Joyce and a very apprehensive looking Chloe Price. She grabbed the TV remote and turned down the volume from the news station she had been watching.

“Welcome back Max, took you long enough don’t you think.” Joyce smiled as she went in for a hug.

“Yeah, definitely too long if you ask me.” She replied.

“Well that was your choice now wasn’t it.” Chloe cut in sharply.

“Now Chloe don’t go starting startin’ trouble when we just got here.” Joyce said as she shot her a glance.

“No, Joyce, she’s right.” Max sighed “I know you’re pissed off at me Chloe-“

“Oh pissed is an understatement, Max” she cut her off “not only did you bail on me for five years, but you’ve been here for over a month and never once tried to contact me, and then you just show up getting shot out of the blue? What the fuck Max?”

“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t keep in touch all these years, I know I fucked up, but I was scared Chloe. I was having a hard enough time just trying to fit in, and I didn’t know what to say to you after everything that happened.”

“You literally could have said anything Max. My dad died and my best friend just left without a word. And the worst part is that I tried to talk to you, you just chose to flat out ignore me.” She began raising her voice.

“I know I did Chloe, and I’m sorry, but I’m trying to make this right” Max pleaded.

“By doing what?! Creeping on me and getting shot? I never asked for that, Max, fuck. What were you even doing there in the first place?”

“I-I, was just trying to cool off after-“

She was cut off when the TV suddenly flashed a breaking news alert that caught everyone’s attention.

_“Arcadia Bay police have released a new discovery in the recent events involving former Blackwell teacher Mark Jefferson and former student Nathan Prescott. Just hours ago Prescott released new information on the whereabouts of Rachel Amber. Miss Amber was reported missing over six months ago and was thought to have runaway. Police were lead to the local junkyard American Rust where her body was discovered in late stages of decay. Officials have reported she was one of the victims of Jefferson and was allegedly overdosed by accident. Her remains are being transported to the state crime lab where toxicology testing will be conducted and will later be released to her family.”_

“Fuck” Max whispered under her breath as she turned to gage Chloe’s reaction.

Chloe stared at the television in complete silence, pain and hurt distorting her features.

“Rachel’s d-dead?” She said, the words sounding foreign in her mouth. “All this time she’s been in the fucking junkyard, all this fucking time!”

“Chloe...I know how much she meant to yo-“

“How the fuck would you know what she meant to me? You’ve been gone for FIVE fucking years Max, you don’t know anything about me, not like she did, not anymore! You just fucking left and she was there to pick up the pieces, the only one who fucking cared and now...now she’s gone like everyone else!”

“I-I’m so sorry chloe....I didn-”

“What the fuck are you sorry for Max? Huh? For telling me to fuck off when I needed you the most? Or are you sorry that my ACTUAL best-friend is fucking dead?! I don’t give a shit what you’re sorry for, fuck you! If you’re just going to try and guilt trip me because you got shot then you should have just fucking bled out and saved yourself the trouble.” Tears were rolling down her face uncontrollably as her emotions had reached a breaking point. Max didn’t deserve this emotional lashing, at least not all of it, but at this point Chloe just needed someone to attack, someone to make feel exactly as she was feeling; hurt, and alone.

“CHLOE! THAT’S ENOUGH!” Joyce had fire in her eyes that hardly ever surfaced, at least not that Max could remember. For a brief moment she matched the intensity that Chloe almost always displayed and it wasn’t hard to see which parent she had gotten that passion from.

Not waiting for a response, Chloe spun around and stormed through the door in a blind fury.

“Max, I’m so sorry, please don’t listen to her, you know how she gets and Rachel just pushed her over the edge. You know she didn’t mean any of that.” Joyce looked at her with a softened yet pained gaze.

Max just sat there for a moment, wide eyed with tears forming in the corners and mouth still slightly agape. Every word Chloe spoke cut a little bit deeper than the last and it was getting hard to breathe. Her mind started to spiral into panic mode with just how fast the situation seemed to have deteriorated.

**_I told you this would happen Max. Everyone around you is going to continue to suffer until you put an end to this._ **

_Fuck. If only I could have woken up sooner, I could have at least talked to her and, a-and…_

**_And what? Tell her all about your little time travels? Tell her how you already knew her little princess was dead? Explain a week with her that she’ll never remember and expect five years of abandonment to just go away? That’s fucking stupid and you know it Maxine._ **

_I don’t fucking care what you think! Even if she doesn’t remember, she’s still the same Chloe, she’s still my best friend._

**_Right, you keep telling yourself that. Things are only going to get worse Max, you chose to bite the bullet so everyone could live happily ever after but the job isn’t finished yet, and the universe is still waiting._ **

_Just get out of my head! You aren’t even real!_

“Max, honey? Are you ok?” A soft voice spoke as a warm hand placed on hers brought her out of her internal debate.

“Y-yeah, it’s ok Joyce I know she’s going through a lot right now” she said in a quiet voice, more to convince herself than anything.

“I know she is sweetheart, but what she said crossed a line, even for her” Joyce furrowed her brows and pulled her hand away “and I can’t tell you enough how grateful I am you stood up and fought that boy and saved my baby, or how thankful I am that you made it back to us alive, how we all are. You’re a strong woman Max, don’t you forget that.”

“Thank you, Joyce, I’m glad to be back too, and I’d give anything to protect Chloe, I know I wasn’t very good at being a friend all these years, but she means so much to me and always has.”

Joyce gave her a thoughtful smile and began to stand up “I know she does, and I know she feels the same about you, she just doesn’t know how to show it, give her time. Well, you get some rest and I’m gonna see if I can track down that hellion of mine.”

After Joyce left the room Max repositioned herself and leaned her head back against the pillows covering her eyes with her forearms. Despite the argument that just ensued, she found herself feeling incredibly lonely and wished more than anything Chloe was here with her. The barrage of doubt and guilt thrown at her by Other Max had her feeling small and lost. Everything in this time line was finally stable, there was no impending storm and her friends were all still alive, yet some how she couldn’t shake this overwhelming sense of dread. Worse still, she didn’t have anyone she could talk to about it that would ever believe her without moving her to the psych wing of the hospital, and the only person she trusted enough to tell, basically just told her to go die.

_She is definitely gonna need some space for a while. I knew this timeline’s Chloe was gonna be pissed at me, but now that she knows about Rachel it’s going to make it so much harder to get her to open up to me again._

As she lay there sorting through her options a nurse opened the door to give her the next round of meds. She resigned herself to the fact that until she could leave this god forsaken hospital she was just going to have to be patient and wait it out and hope Chloe even wanted to talk to her again. Shortly after that thought she began to drift off into a drug induced slumber, away from this new world and into old nightmares that no longer existed.

//

Chloe had no recollection of her journey through the hospital after she left Max and her mom in a rage. She barely registered she was in the parking lot until she almost ran straight into her truck and even then, it took a moment to recognize it was her truck through the tears that wouldn’t fucking stop. Everything was fucked and it was all too much for her to handle. Rachel was dead, she was fucking dead, the only person in the last three years to give a fuck and now she was just… gone. And Max, fucking Max shows up and thinks she can just waltz back in her life like the past five years never happened, like she knows anything about Rachel or how much she meant to her or how much her life has gone to shit since she bailed. She might have saved her life, but she didn’t ask for that, and fuck if she’s gonna hold it over her head for the rest of her life. It hurt, everything just… hurt.

“Chloe Elizabeth Price.” The sound of her full name being called in that cold tone sent a small jolt through her body reminding her where she was. “What the hell were you thinkin’ sayin all those things to Max? I know you’re upset about Rachel, hell we all are, but that girl literally took a bullet for you.”

Chloe’s face turned blood red as she spun around to face her mother “I never fucking asked her to, what difference does it make, she left me for five fucking years without so much as a word and all the sudden this is supposed to make up for that?! I don’t know her anymore Joyce and she doesn’t know me! She has no right to act like she suddenly fucking cares!”

“Chloe I’ve been mad at you, disappointed in you, hell I’ve even been plain pissed off at you, but I have never been ashamed of you until today. You want to act like a child and hurt those around you, fine, but don’t expect me to stand by and listen to it, that’s not the daughter me and your father raised and loved.”

_Ouch_

Having said her piece and without listening to another word, Joyce spun on her heels and started walking towards the bus stop. By this point Chloe was seething in every emotion you could think of. She was hurt by Rachel’s death, angry at Max’s bullshit return, saddened at the mention of her father, but above all else she just felt alone. Her world felt like it was breaking apart and she had no one left to put it back together and no home away from hell to seek refuge, not anymore.

When the tears finally subsided enough to not impair her vision she jumped in her truck and drove to the only place she could think of. She needed to clear her head, and be as far away from other people as possible and the light house seemed the best option. After a short drive she pulled into the beach and parked and made her way up the path she’d trekked so many times before. The crisp air from the forest always cleared her head whenever she was worked up, and the energy she exerted hiking up the path was just enough to wind down her anxious nerves to a manageable level. The light house always reminded her of happier times, and the nostalgia of her father and endless pirate adventures would fill her senses as she approached the peak of the seaside lookout which, she imagined, was why she always found her way back here when she was desperate for peace of mind.

It didn’t do much for her today, though, as she approached the bench to sit down. The sky was a dull shade of gray and the smell of salt in the air only made her feel like she was suffocating. She pulled out a pre-rolled joint and lit up taking a deep pull and, after holding it in a while, released it slowly as if she was trying to purge every shitty feeling she had accumulated over the day. After repeating the process a few more times she was finally able to slow her mind down in a numbing haze.

As the tendrils of smoke lazily floated around her, she finally let herself decompress the assortment of thoughts raging against each other in her mind. She had lost her best friend of the past three years today. Sure, she was missing for six months, but today made it real. She would never see Rachel Amber again, hear her laugh, watch her act, follow her dreams. See her just…live. And for what? A random teacher in a hick town that just happened to be a psychopath? How fucking unlucky can you get? What kind of world does that to someone who has so much life left to live?

_You didn’t fucking deserve this Rachel. Why the fuck where you even involved with that sick bastard, why did you shut me out? I thought we were more than that. Why didn’t you trust me.._

She gritted her teeth together as her eyes started to well up with tears at the thought. Everyone she ever loved in life had left her, shut her out or just forgot about her. And Max? Max just fucking flat out abandoned her, she doesn’t have the excuse of dying like William or Rachel. She just left and never looked back. Even a ‘fuck you later’ would have been better than the absolute silence that’s been the past five years. She wasn’t even worth that apparently. Yet here she was after all this time, plus an extra month, acting like she still cared and nothing ever changed. The fuck it did Max.

_Why was I not worth it to you? Did you really think so little of me to just drop our friendship that easily when I needed you the most? And now you’re here, acting like a damn superhero and pretending that everything’s ok._

Of course she didn’t mean what she said about Max dying, but Chloe was never the most eloquent of speakers, especially while she was emotionally compromised. Even still, thinking back on her words now made her wince a little at how harsh she was. Max deserved a lot of choice words but those weren’t the ones. Truth be told she felt relieved knowing Max was back again, and the fact she had probably saved her life certainly hasn’t gone unappreciated, but the feelings of anger were still far too raw for her to bring herself to express her gratitude, or anything really. That’s a conversation for another day, if it even happens at all, Chloe would only drag her down and Max would probably just leave her again anyways. Better to just avoid the situation all together than go through the pain all over again. Plus, she still had to mourn the death of one friend before she even though of letting anyone else in. She had a long week ahead of her and making it through Rachel’s funeral was going to be her first priority. Max could wait.


	4. Loose Ends

It had been two days since the breakdown with Chloe and Joyce and she still hadn’t heard a word from the former. She was finally getting discharged today with surprisingly minimal medical restrictions. Her week long coma and limited movement progressed her healing along nicely enough and since it was a clean shot with limited internal damage, she only had to worry about popping stitches and bandaging up the skin burns. Her parents had left yesterday to head back to Seattle, few of her Blackwell friends had messaged her to check in and she had spoken with police in detail about her involvement with Nathan and they basically wrote it off as a ‘wrong place at the wrong time’ ordeal. Brooke and warren ended up getting together over the week, thank dog, and Kate was doing much better than she was in the previous timeline. After all the shit about Nathan and Jefferson came to light it overshadowed her viral video and once it was pieced together that she was one of their victims, it was taken down all together. She had been given an overwhelming amount of support and even Victoria had completely abstained from messing with her.

Max had been having an unnerving number of nightmares from the week that never was ever since her confrontation with Chloe. The medication helped subdue her enough that it wasn’t noticed by the hospital staff, but she had a feeling she wasn’t going to get rid of them anytime soon. Between Jefferson’s photo op and Chloe’s numerous blood-spattered bodies, she had enough horror stored in her subconscious to supply an endless number of fucked up dreams.

The only upside of the nightmares, is they confirmed that she did indeed still have her rewind powers. During a particularly bad dream she awoke to a nurse trying hold her down from thrashing which led to her instinctively rewinding to get her off and sent her back into the corridor. Kind of ironic considering fear is what kept her from testing her power in the first place and consequently led her to discovering she still had them.

So here she was, standing at the bus stop waiting to go back to Blackwell. She had debated stopping by Chloes house before heading back to school but decided against it, if they were going to meet then it needed to be on Chloe’s terms lest she desired a second round of Saturday’s events.

She decided she would try and send her a text later in the day once she got settled in to test the waters. To say it was increasingly difficult to keep her mind on anything but Chloe these past few days would be an understatement. To put it mildly, she missed her. The week she spent with her was one of the best she had in a long time, even with all the shit they got dragged into. She finally got to reconnect with her best friend and share some amazing memories, and the fact that Chloe would never even know about any of it pained her greatly. It made her feel alone and disconnected from the most important person in her life even though she was only a few miles away. One memory in particular she kept coming back to was their last moment at the lighthouse, and the kiss they shared.

_Damn_

Where had that even come from? She didn’t know when exactly she started feeling that way about Chloe but she had a feeling that little dare had something to do with it, and now that she knew how she felt it was almost all she could think about which made this new timeline all the more frustrating. She wanted to stare into those blue eyes and get lost in her touch, but more than anything she just wanted to taste her again without the pressure of a dare or impending doom breathing down their neck.

_Ok calm the hell down Max, let’s work on getting her to not hate you first._

Even that prospect scared her, what if she didn’t feel the same way even if they did make up? What if the only reason Max even had a chance was because of the moments they shared that week together? As much as that possibility hurt to think about she decided she didn’t have the right to feel selfish, not when she was given a second chance and everyone she cared about was still alive. Whatever place Chloe decided she should have in her life would be good enough, she didn’t deserve to hope for more.

The bus finally made its way in front of Blackwell and she departed, grateful that there didn’t appear to be any students lingering on campus. Dorms had been reopened yesterday but since classes were postponed indefinitely under the pending investigation, most students had little reason to return. She quietly made her way across campus and through the dorms and miraculously avoided any other humans in the process. It felt like an eternity since the last time she had been in her dorm room. Lisa obviously didn’t survive her little week long hiatus and she felt a little bad about that, but if something had to die in this timeline she was glad it was only her abandoned plant. Once she got settled in and took a quick shower to wash off the lingering antiseptic smell, she curled up in bed and tried to compose a message to Chloe. She must have retyped it a hundred times before she finally settled on something she was satisfied with.

**_Max: I’m sorry for how things went at the hospital. I know you’re still upset and you have every right to be, but I promise I never meant to hurt you. I’d really like to talk to you and sort things out, but I understand if you need more time. If nothing else I’d at least like to apologize to you in person. Please just consider it._ **

**_-Max_ **

When she finally hit send she resigned herself to a long uncomfortable wait. Her stomach was churning in nervous knots wondering what her reply would be, or if she would even reply at all. She didn’t have to wait long surprisingly when she heard her phone chime from a received message. Unfortunately it wasn’t what she was hoping for.

**_Chloe: I don’t know how you got my number but you can fucking lose it. I don’t want your pity. Give it to someone who cares._ ** ****

Her heart sank as she read the words. She didn’t know what to do to fix this, or if she even could. She was losing the one person she cared for the most and her rewind couldn’t even help her. As much as she wanted to barge in Chloe’s house and convince her she cared, that was impractical. Other Max had told her she had done nothing but make choices for Chloe, and maybe she was right. Maybe all she did was manipulate people’s lives to best suit her all along. She didn’t want to be like that, she had tampered enough, and every decision she had made the week previously had backfired. Even if she never gained Chloe’s friendship again there were still things she needed to take care of, things she could do to indirectly make sure she was ok. She decided she would begin tackling that tomorrow, and so she laid there, and quietly cried until she drifted off into restless sleep.

//

Max awoke in a cold sweat, breathing heavily as she tried to shake the most recent nightmare that had plagued her slumber.

She hadn’t noticed the blood from her hands until she went to pull off her blanket. She had unconsciously rubbed and scratched her wrists raw through the night.

_Great. So this is a thing now._

She shook her head trying to avoid the lingering images of being strapped down to that fucking chair and Jefferson’s condescending voice mocking her. When her breathing finally steadied she grabbed her shower caddy and a fresh set of clothes and set out for the showers. She had taken one last night after she got back, but she desperately needed to wash off the feeling of violation her nightmare had left her with and to clear her head. She had shit to do today and didn’t need lingering feelings distracting her.

When she returned, sufficiently cleaned up, she began looking around to grab her camera bag.

_Huh. When’s the last time I had it? The hospital? No it wasn’t returned with my personal belongings. Maybe the bathroom, but the police never brought it up either, that journal would have had me in the psych ward if they had read it._

She pushed the thought from her mind and decided to buy another journal later in the day. She had two main goals in mind today, which included raiding Principle Well’s office, and if that was successful, she needed to pay Frank a visit. She hoped the label ‘handicap fund’ came off as legit enough for the police to have left it in the office for the future school administration to deal with. She was initially opposed to stealing the money when they had first discovered it, but after going back to Chloe’s alternate timeline and learning she couldn’t go to Blackwell because of her wheelchair, she had a change of heart.

_Handicap fund my ass. Hush money more like it._

It was surprisingly easy to navigate the school unnoticed since almost no one was around. The security guards were pretty lax with their patrols given there weren’t many students to police and David was on the night shift rotation so she didn’t have to deal with that thankfully. After a few creative rewind attempts and some miraculously fixed broken windows she finally made entrance to the main part of the school. She hoped Well’s office hadn’t retained its special lock like it had previously, as much fun as blowing up the door was before, she wanted to avoid lingering here longer than necessary. She jiggled the door knob and was pleasantly surprised that it opened without issue.

_Ninja Max strikes again. Or just sloppy police work on Arcadia’s part._

She made her way around the cluster of papers strewn about from the police raid and went to the desk. She pulled open the drawer that housed the envelope and…

_Jackpot!_

As luck would have it, the envelope didn’t even look like it had been opened so she assumed no one thought to investigate further into its contents. She shoved it in her jacket pocket and hastily made her way out of the vicinity. Part one of the plan had been a success which meant now she had to face the hard part; dealing with Frank.

She knew deep down Frank was a good guy just shaped by a hard life, but just like with Chloe his trust had to be earned and she didn’t have that luxury this time. She didn’t even have Chloe to act as a buffer. Max decided she would just have to deal with whatever he threw at her and hope for the best. She knew he would be upset about Rachel so she was hoping his emotions would act in her favor if nothing else. So, she went to the bus stop and boarded it heading for the beachfront where he was usually hanging around.

20 minutes later she found herself waking down the beach headed to the eyesore of an RV parked in the distance. Once she finally approached the door she gulped and forced herself to knock. She heard some scuffling from the back and Pompidou barking in alarm before the door finally opened.

“Who the fuck are you and why are you at my house?” He grumbled.

“Um, I was hoping to talk to you about one of your customers, Chloe Price?” She asked nervously.

“I don’t talk about my customers, now get the fuck away from me creep.” He turned to go back inside.

“Wait! Look I know she owes you some money and I’m here to pay it, that’s all.” She turned to pull the envelope out and separated the $3k handing it towards Frank.

He eyed her suspiciously and looked down at the money finally reaching out to take it.

“Why did she send a freak like you instead of coming to pay it herself?” He asked as he counted the money.

“She doesn’t know I’m here, I owed her a favor and I’m just returning it by doing this ok.”

“Three thousand dollars is a big favor girlie”

“Yeah well, shit happens I guess.” She said, trying to deflect his suspicions.

She glanced at the bracelet around his wrist and knew she was about to tread on dangerous ground, but figured Frank deserved for someone to care, she knew he really did love Rachel despite everything.

“So, I see your bracelet, and know it belonged to Rachel, are you handling everything ok Frank? She asked as gently as possible.

“What the fuck would you know about me and Rachel?” He snapped taking a step towards her.

“I know that you cared about her, from what she told me anyways. I’m not trying to pry, I just wanted to make sure you’re ok is all.” She raised her hands in surrender and took a step back.

_Well SHE didn’t tell me but her notes did, and so did you…. Or did._

He looked at her and finally averted his gaze and sighed, slumping his shoulders. “Sorry, I just-, she meant a lot to me ya know. I feel so guilty about things. I played a fucking part in her death and I can’t handle that.”

“You couldn’t have known that’s what was happening Frank, she wouldn’t want you to feel guilty.” She replied.

“Maybe you’re right, but it doesn’t change anything. I’ll carry that for the rest of my life. But uh, thanks for askin’. I haven’t really been able to talk to anyone about this.”

“I understand.” She said with a small smile. “But if I could ask you a favor, if you happen to see Chloe again, would you mind not letting her see Rachel’s bracelet? She really loved her and didn’t know you two were together. I just don’t want to see her hurt anymore than she already is, if that’s ok?”

“Uh, yeah I can do that I guess, how do you know she loved her?” He asked genuinely curious.

“Did she ever tell you what that money was for?”

He shook his head in reply.

“They had made plans a long time ago to go to LA and get out of Arcadia. Things changed for Rachel but Chloe never gave up on that dream, she was going to use it for her and Rachel to finally leave.”

“If I had known how all this shit was going to turn out, I would have fuckin paid for them to get out.” He looked down regretfully. “Thanks for telling me that, and thanks for listening to me. I still think you’re a fuckin creep, but you’re not too bad.”

“Thanks Frank. I guess I’m gonna get out of here now. Take care of yourself and Pompidou too.” She waved as she turned to leave and let out a sigh of relief.

_Thank dog that went well. All this stress is aging me I swear._

She made her way back to town and stopped at one of the local shops to grab a new journal before heading back to the bus stop. Even though she considered the day a success she still felt dejected. It was a small relief that Frank wouldn’t be hounding Chloe anymore, but it was still overshadowed by the lack of Chloe’s presence in her life. It had only been a few days and she already felt like she had been ripped from her world. She didn’t want to think about what this would feel like permanently, that idea hurt to much to even ponder. Everyone was ok, that would have to be enough for now.


	5. Long Goodbyes

Thursday Oct 17

Chloe had spent the better part of the past five days locked up in her room hiding from the world. Police officials had finally released Rachel’s remains to her family two days ago once they had the toxicology report of the chemicals in her system tying her to Jefferson and Nathan. Today was her funeral.

A large part of her wanted to just stay in bed and pretend none of this existed, to remain numb from the pain that waited out side her door. She knew Rachel would be pissed at her for acting this way, but she couldn’t find it in her to give a shit. Her mother had followed up on her threats and all but acted like she didn’t exist, she must have told David about it because he’s completely left her alone too. She didn’t care, whether they ignored her or bickered at her for dumb shit, it was all the same, no one gave a fuck. Not anymore.

She finally pried herself from the bed and made her way to her closet. As much as she didn’t want to go to the funeral, she needed some form of closure. Maybe this would finally give it to her. She rummaged through her clothes until she found a pair of black slim cut slacks and blazer top she deemed appropriate. Once she was dressed she grabbed her phone off the charger and checked for any missed messages. Max had texted her a few days ago with her woe is me bullshit but she shut that down quickly. She didn’t need her pity, she had her chance to be there when it mattered.

Once she had everything in order she made her way to her truck and began driving to the town cemetery. Dorms had been opened since the weekend and most students had made their way back in town at the announcement of school resuming the following Monday. That also meant half the student body was at Rachel’s funeral. Chloe didn’t feel like exchanging condolences with people she didn’t give a shit about so she showed up late and stood in the back for the proceedings. Everything they were saying just sounded like garbage. Every one thought they knew what kind of person Rachel was. The pretty, smart, sociable blonde who could fit in with every crowd. Chloe knew the truth though, how much anger she harbored, all the masks she wore to appease the people around her, how much she wanted to follow her dreams and tell the world to go fuck itself. She started to feel tears falling down her face the more she thought about her and how she would never see her again, as the service droned on and on. After what seemed like an eternity the service finally concluded. She thought she’s feel at least some sort of relief or closure coming here today. It only made her feel shittier though, Rachel was still gone, and Chloe was still alone. Chloe made her way back to her truck, making sure to avoid the path of anyone on the way. Once she finally got to the door she felt a hand on her shoulder stopping her short. She turned to find the owner of the offending hand and found herself face to face with Frank Bowers.

“Hey, Chloe, can I talk to you for a second?” He asked.

“Look Frank, I don’t have your money yet, and I’m not really in the mood to do this right now.” She shot back.

“Woah, calm down Price. I wouldn’t pull that shit here of all fuckin places. And your debt’s already been taken care of so just calm down for a second.” He removed his hand in surrender.

“What do you mean taken care of?” She looked at him questioningly.

“Someone came by and paid it, some chick who said she owed you a favor. I didn’t catch her name.”

“Uh, I’ll be honest, I have no idea who that could be.”

“Well she knew you pretty well, Rachel too from the way she was talking. Anyways, she told me the reason you wanted the money was to get you and Rachel out of this shit town.”

“How could she possibly know that? Rachel was the only one who knew. And I swear I was gonna pay you back before we bolted.”

“Like I said, I’m not worried about all that.” He went to pull something out of his back pocket. “Here, if I had know all this was going to happen I would have told you not to worry about it a long time ago.” He hands her an envelope. “Rachel may not have made it out, but maybe you still can. The place already took one person who didn’t deserve it, and if I can keep it from taking another then I can live with that.”

Chloe examines the contents of the envelope and her eyes go wide. “Frank are you sure? This is all the money I owe you.”

“I’m sure, I know Rachel would have wanted me to give it to you. She really liked you Price.” He said sadly.

“Uh, thanks Frank, I really appreciate this dude. So, what are your plans, still plan on sticking around the bay?”

“No, I’ve spent enough time in this fuckin shithole. I was just hanging around until the funeral, I’m gonna go spend some time with my mother, try and sort my life out a bit.”

“I understand.” She looked thoughtfully “I think it’s time I finally do too, I don’t have any reason to stay anymore, not like anyone wants me here anyways.”

“Well good luck, Price. You’re still young, don’t fuckin waste it. I’ll see ya around.” He said as he turned to leave.

“Yeah you too Frank, see ya around.”

She got in the truck and shut the door and just sat there with her head against the steering wheel. Now what? She finally had the money to leave and nothing tying her down, something she had only dreamed about for years, but for some reason it felt almost daunting. Where would she even go? These plans never consisted of her flying solo, it was always built on the foundation of watching Rachel follow her dreams. That thought was always enough for her, but now? Did she even have any dreams of her own anymore? She had never realized how dependent she was on other people making choices for her until now. All she wanted was for someone to want her back, and now that she was alone, she didn’t know where she belonged. Where ever that was, she decided it wasn’t going to be Arcadia Bay, she just needed some time to sort out the details.

_I don’t belong here anymore, but I’ll find somewhere I do, and I’ll do it on my fucking own._

_//_

Max lay in her bed staring at the wall trying to breathe. The days and nights have been running into one another and she was beginning to think she was losing her mind. She knew a lot of what she was feeling was due to lack of sleep, but that couldn’t be helped. The moment she closed her eyes it was the same thing over and over again: rain, blood, death, needles, hopelessness.

Her body felt like it was tied down by cinder blocks, her chest was on fire and she couldn’t control her shaking. How much longer could she last like this? Why couldn’t she just be happy? The world was finally right but she felt so wrong, like it was rejecting her very existence, as if it was almost angry that she even dared to breathe, so it made it as painful as possible. She didn’t know when things started to get so bad. Her nightmares had gotten progressively more realistic, and other Max was a constant presence always throwing her failures in her face, and now her body felt like it was shutting down. She didn’t know if she was on fire or freezing and she was always drenched in sweat and tears it seemed like. Why was she even here?

Her existential crisis was interrupted by a very aggressive series of knocks on the door followed by an even more aggressive voice.

“Maxine, open the fucking door.”

She didn’t budge, there was no point. Just unnecessary physical exertion.

“I’m giving you five seconds before I break this bitch down. I know your hipster ass is in there.”

Knowing the problem wasn’t going away anytime soon when Victoria Chase was involved, she rolled out of the bed and steadied herself from the sudden head rush. When she finally made it to the door and cracked it slightly she was greeted with the unamused scowl that was almost a permanent fixture on Victoria’s face.

“What Victoria.”

She pushed her way through the door and crossed her arms disapprovingly as she took her place in the center of the room.

“You look like shit Max” she said curtly.

“Thanks, I’m glad you came here to tell me that.” She replied flatly.

“Cut the bullshit, you’re not ok. This..” she gestured to her mess of a room “is not fucking ok.”

“Why do you care, Victoria?” She said with an edge to her voice.

“Because you’re freaking everyone out. We all hear you screaming at night, and Kate looks like she’s going to have a heart attack from worry. Is your chest ok?” She moved forward to inspect her bandages.

Max abruptly moved back out of reach. “It’s fine, I’m fine, I’m just- I’m having some issues I’m trying to work through is all, I’m sorry for keeping you all up at night.”

“That’s not what I mean Max, when was the last time you ate something, or even left this room?”

“Uh not long ago.”

“Bullshit. Look, most everyone is out of the dorms attending Rachel’s funeral so grab your shit and follow me, Kate has some food she made and you’re going to eat it if I have to shove it down your twee throat.”

When it didn’t look like she was going to budge, Max let out a sigh and went for the door, Victoria close on her heels. They made their way to Kate’s room and Victoria let herself in. Kate looked like she was expecting their arrival and gave Max a worried smile.

“Hey Max, um I made some food when I was visiting my parents and I thought maybe you’d like it?” She asked nervously.

_You’ll always be too good for this world Kate. I feel like an ass for worrying her._

**_You should, and now you’re worrying half the dorm with your bullshit too._ **

**** _I know ok, just fuck off!_

“Are you ok Max?” Kate asked hesitantly.

“Y-yeah, sorry. That’s really sweet Kate thank you.” She tried to put on a half convincing smile.

She had made some type of casserole and it honestly did smell good, but Max’s anxiety had killed her appetite for the better part of the week, but she could at least try for Kate. Once they had been eating in uncomfortable silence for a while, Kate finally spoke.

“So, I guess everyone must have really loved Rachel for most of the school to have gone to her funeral, it’s so horrible though.”

“I don’t know why, she was a two faced bitch, there were a lot of sides of her people never saw.” Victoria said bitterly.

“Perhaps, but no one deserves what happened to her, it’s horrible just knowing I could have ended up like that.” Kate looked away sadly.

“I didn’t mean it like that Kate” Victoria quickly explained “I just meant she was practically worshipped by everyone, but no one really ever saw how manipulative she actually was. And people call me a bitch.” She rolled her eyes.

“I was actually planning on going, but it’s probably a good idea I didn’t.” Max says suddenly.

Kate looked at her with a confused expression “What do you mean?”

“I Uh, know someone who’s going to be there and it probably wouldn’t have been the best if we ran into each other.”

Victoria raised her eyebrow, suddenly interested “Oh? Do tell. If I failed at intimidating you then this person must be a fucking terror.”

“Not anything like that, we just used to be good friends and I kinda bailed without keeping in touch, we’re not exactly on speaking terms.” She replied sadly.

“What’s her name?”

“Uh, Chloe. Chloe Price.” Max’s heart sinks at saying her name.

“That punk bitch? Oh for fuck sake, why would you be worried about her of all people?” Victoria scoffs disbelievingly.

“Who is she?” Kate asks, completely lost at this point.

“She’s a blue headed punk wanna be that used to be one of Rachel’s groupies. She got expelled a while back.” Victoria explains.

Kate’s eyes widen in sudden realization. “Oh that’s the girl that was at the hospital that day!” She suddenly clamps her hand over her mouth looking panicked.

“Wait, how do you know about that?” Max looks at her confused.

“Um, I’m sorry I wasn’t meaning to be nosy. I was in town that day picking up some things since the dorms were reopened and I was going to stop by to see you on my way. Anyways, when I got there I heard your, uh, conversation by accident. I didn’t think you’d want to talk after that so I left to give you some time alone.” She looks down at her hands.

“Why? What happened exactly?” Victoria asks.

“Like I said, she was just pissed because I didn’t keep in contact with her and then she found out about Rachel. The reunion didn’t go over so well obviously, but I guess I kinda deserved it.”

Kate looks up at her shocked “Max you don’t believe that do you? I might not know anything about your relationship, but what she said was just cruel and no one deserved that!”

“What did she say to you Max?” Victoria asked seriously.

“S-she, uh, look it’s not a big deal ok. It’s over now and I’m not going to push it.”

“Max! Answer the fucking question.”

“Um, Kate?” Max looked at her pleadingly.

“She basically told her she should have just died in the bathroom. It was horrible.” Kate said sadly.

“What the fuck? Who the hell says that to someone who just saved their life?!” Victoria yells.

“Have you spoken to her since Max?” Kate asked.

“Well, I tried to text her to apologize and she just laid into me and told me to delete her number. That was on Monday, I haven’t talked to her since.”

“Fuck her, why would you even want to be friends with that? It would have been a cold day in hell before I apologized to that ungrateful trash.” Victoria scowled.

“Look, it doesn’t matter. I doubt she even wants to see me again. I just want to forget about it ok.” She looked away, trying to control her emotions threatening to break through.

Kate nods “It ok to feel upset Max, you don’t have to hide it. I know you’re having a hard time after everything that’s happened, but you can always talk to us about it ok?”

“I know Kate, thanks.” She smiles halfheartedly “I think I just need some time, alone to deal with everything.” She goes to stand and heads for the door.

“Thanks again for the food Kate, it was really good.” And with that she turned and left in a hurry before they could protest.

She hated shutting Kate out, but there were too many things she couldn’t explain or talk about. She had to deal with this alone, that was the only option she had.

**_Come on Maxine, you still got me. What, you don’t like talking to yourself anymore? I’m hurt._ **

**** _Please.. just fucking stop. Leave me alone._

**_No can do. Ride together die together remember? Look, it doesn’t have to be this way Max, stop being so fucking hardheaded._ **

**** _I’m not being anything ok?! I just want to stop feeling this way!_

**_I told you the longer you waited the worse it would get. Now you’re dragging people down with you just like I said you would._ **

**** _I don’t understand what you want from me._

**_Yes you do. You just can’t accept it._ **

She leaned her head against her door when she finally made it back to the room. Her face was hot and everything was starting to spin as the limits of her exhaustion were starting to take over.

_Come on, not now, I can’t fall asleep with them watching me so closely, not here._

She decided this was going to be her last day at the dorms, it had to be. This wasn’t the place for her right now, and maybe it never would be again. Things were only getting worse and she couldn’t keep making those around her worry and lose sleep because she couldn’t deal with her issues.

She took her time gathering a few belongings, prolonging her time in her little room that had become home for as long as she could manage. She only had a vague idea of where she would go, but if it was still there then it would be ok for now. She took one last look around and wondered briefly if she would ever see it again. It felt like she was saying goodbye to more than just a room. The thought was unsettling, but she tried not to dwell on it. She didn’t belong here anymore anyways.


	6. Revelations

After Rachel’s funeral Chloe thought long and hard about her future over the next few days. She still didn’t have a goal in mind and it was eating at her. All this time spent practically foaming at the mouth trying to get out of this place and now that she had the means to leave and nothing holding her back, she was completely lost. She had spent the last couple of hours driving around hoping for inspiration to strike, or even a fucking bolt of lighting for all she cared. Anything to get her mind off this frustrating sense of failure that was steadily engulfing her. So here she sat, in the driveway of her mother’s home, listening to the rain hit the windshield in a soothing rhythm of random patterns.

With her head pressed to the steering wheel she took a deep breath and opened her eyes willing herself to get out of the truck. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed something peeking from under her passenger seat. It was Max’s messenger bag. She pulled it out from under the seat and realized in the heat of the moment she had forgotten about taking it with her from the bathroom. She opened it to examine the contents and only found a rather dilapidated journal.

_Figures, she’s always had one of these ever since we were kids._

Noting nothing else of importance in the bag demanding its immediate return, she decided she could return it at a later date or maybe have Joyce take it to the diner and hand it off next time Max made an appearance. As she went to place the journal back from whence it came, something fell out of one of the folds and landed in her lap. She sat the journal down to inspect the mystery object and discovered it was a Polaroid of two familiar faces. It was a recent shot of both Max and Chloe in what looked like her bedroom, both smiling lazily as if just waking up. But that couldn’t be right, Chloe had only seen Max a total of 3 times and none of those times warranted a smiling selfie. It was definitely a recent photo given Chloe’s blue hair, but Max looked like a completely different person. Her skin had a healthy glow to it, the dark circles under eyes were nonexistent and she had spark in her eye that looked… happy. A stark contrast to the frail yet hardened girl she yelled at in the hospital only days ago. If Chloe ever had any misgivings about how pretty Max had become over the past five years, she definitely knew now. To put it simply, Max looked beautiful.

_Where the fuck did this photo com from? Cause I sure as hell don’t remember taking this, especially not with Max._

She hastily shoved the photo in the bag along with the journal and quickly made her way into the house up to her room. Once inside with the door secured she sat down at her desk and pulled the journal out once more. Not that she had many qualms about fucking with other people’s shit, but she felt a brief moment of hesitation before prying the journal open to inspect its contents. She started at the beginning dated July 10.

**_“If words could dance this would be a rave. Even though I've never been to one. But who cares because I GOT INTO BLACKWELL ACADEMY!”_ **

Chloe couldn’t help but chuckle a little at that, _once a dork always, a dork,_ she thought.

She continued reading on through her acceptance letter, to her move into the dorms and her first couple of weeks at school. She’s be lying if she said she didn’t feel a little disappointed in Max’s lack of attempts to contact her, but that’s nothing new. Then she finally came across to a date that caught her attention, Monday Oct 7, the day she got shot.

Chloe assumed she must have written it earlier in the day before everything went down in the bathroom because the journal was in her truck from then on out. If nothing else she was hoping she could at least get a handle on what she was doing there in the first place, but things only got more confusing the further she read. From what she was reading Max had apparently had some fucked up dream in class and headed to the bathroom to calm down a bit, but the weird part was that journal entry continued much farther than that.

**_“I felt so shitty. I just wanted to get to the bathroom to be alone and wash my face after that nightmare. Or daymare. Once I got to the bathroom I saw this odd beautiful blue butterfly flutter in and right when I took a photo of it in the corner, Nathan Prescott came in freaking out, talking to himself. I hid in the corner and this punk girl came in and they started arguing about drugs and money. Then Nathan actually whipped out a gun and SHOT the girl_ ”**

_Wait, what the fuck?_

 **_“This is where it gets strange._ ** **_When Nathan fired the gun I came around the corner and reached out for some dumb reason, as if I could stop the bullet. But suddenly I could feel the world twisting around me and this pressure in my head, everything seemed to rewind and I found myself right back in class at my desk!”_ **

Chloe promptly dropped the journal, stood up and nervously started pacing the room trying to think.

_That’s not possible. She was already in the fucking ambulance bleeding out by the time this could be written._

With some hesitation she sat back down and continued where she left off, when the fucking mic dropped.Time travel. That was the fucking explanation Max had come to. Chloe wasn’t sure if she was losing her mind reading this or if Max was for writing it, but considering these words existed when they obviously shouldn’t, threw both their sanity up for debate. The entry proceeded to detail the events of the rest of the day including Max and Chloe’s reunion where she almost ran her over in the parking lot before she wisked her away from one very pissed off Prescott. As the details of the day continued to unfold she was beginning to get more and more freaked out the further she read. There were things written here she couldn’t possibly know. The tin under her bed with Rachel’s picture, the gun she stole from step-dick, as well as her reason for confronting Nathan that started this all. It was fucking mind blowing and extremely unsettling, but the most unsettling detail was that this wasn’t the only entry. Her journal entries stretched all the way to Friday, the entire time she was in coma-mode.

_Holy shit... Holyshitholyshitholyshit. What the fuck does this mean?_

There was only one way to find out and it made her anxious to think about what else she might find. She contemplated just going directly to Max to find out what exactly this was, but Chloe knew she already burnt that bridge.

_Hey Max, I know I basically told you to go die and lose my number, oh and I decided to read your journal too, but could you just forget all that and maybe translate it while we’re at it? Thanks. Fucking dumbass Chloe!_

She finally pulled herself out of her internal monologue and decided her only option was to just keep reading. For all she knew this could just be some well thought prank, or something…. yeah. So, on to Tuesday it was.

Tuesday Oct 8

It picked up at the beginning and went through her morning events dealing with various student run-ins and a scandal involving a girl named Kate. She recognized the name from the news as one of the victims from Jefferson and Nathan. She seemed like she was trying to help her piece things together from a night turned shit.

_Always ever so sympathetic Max._

The entry moved on to the Two Whales where Max and Chloe were supposed to meet up. The topic of breakfast was power demonstrations which Chloe thought was a reasonable request, and past Chloe seemed to feel the same.

**_“But that smile meant trouble, since all she really wanted was for me to show off my rewind power. So I did and I have to admit, I felt like a total boss. Except I did start feeling weak and woozy the more I rewound. I even got a nosebleed, which kinda freaked me out. Chloe always wants more, so she demanded we go to her top-secret lair… She still had to get pissed off at me because I dared to answer Kate's call. I'm not a fan of Chloe's petulant side. She tried to make me feel like an ass, but screw that. Kate was so happy I answered I actually felt worse for her. Chloe has to know I can have two friends at once...”_ **

_Insert wince here. Way to make me sound like a bitch Max. But… she’s not wrong, that Kate girl sounds like she could really use a friend. Am I really that self centered?_

Their journey continued to the junkyard where Chloe proceeded to get shot AGAIN by her own actions, and that’s when Frank showed up. Max went boss mode and actually tried to protect her with, albeit, an empty gun, but the sentiment still struck Chloe all the same. And even more so when she managed to get her ass stuck on train tracks and splattered into oblivion and yet again saved by Max.

_Jesus Max, how many times have you seen me die?_

Despite all the death and close calls, the details she really latched on to were the ones concerning Rachel. The insinuation of a letter discarded in the trash can and Frank’s current possession of Rachel’s bracelet gripped her heart and and she couldn’t let the thought go.

_Why the fuck does he have that?!_

Before she decided to delve further into the mindfuck that was Max’s journal she decided to follow up with the information she was presented with. The only problem with that plan, was that it meant she would have to go to the junkyard and face Rachel’s grave. The thought alone made her feel sick to her stomach, but if she wanted any shred of proof Max was telling the truth the she didn’t have much of a choice.

She closed the journal, put it back in the bag and slung it over her shoulder and made her way to the truck before she could talk herself out of it. She spent the drive thinking over all the information she had learned trying to make sense of anything she could, and of course, she couldn’t. Even if all this was true she was still left with a lasting question: what does all this mean and what was she supposed to do with it? She would have to confront Max at some point about all this but that would have to be a problem for another day, at least until she knew how to bring herself to face her. The thought ended when she finally pulled up to her old haunt, the term now more literal than she would have liked. She could see the police tape, now waving about in disarray since the investigation had moved elsewhere, and took in a sharp breath as her stomach dropped. All the days had she had spent here trying to find leads into Rachel’s disappearance only to find out she had been right under her nose the whole time. It made her sick, it made her angry, but ultimately it made feel helpless, and that was the worst feeling of all. She put her emotions aside and quickly exited truck and made her way to the concrete shack. Once inside she cautiously approached the trash can and began carefully looking for anything resembling a note, and lo and behold there is was. She sat down and began reading with shaking hands, anger slowly building with every word. When she finished she balled the paper up and threw it across the room as tears started welling up in the corner of her eyes.

_She fucking lied to me. Lied right to my fucking face! And for what?! So she could sneak around and fuck that psycho teacher?! What does any of this have to do with Frank, was she fucking him behind my back too?_

She felt completely fucking lost. The one person she thought she could trust had completely lied to her for no telling how long, and it had gotten her killed in the process. And if this was true, then Max knew all along. If nothing else it explains why Max reacted the way she did when Chloe heard the news of Rachel’s death, she knew how she would react and was only trying to comfort her as best she could given the fact Max couldn’t divulge she knew more than she should have. And of course Chloe reacted in typical Chloe fashion and blew up in her face for it. She stewed on that for a moment before working up the nerve to bring out the journal again. She knew nothing it had to say would be good from here on out, but she needed to know how deep this all ran and what Max’s involvement was now, after the fact.

She continued reading through the rest of Tuesday only to be greeted with the grim news that Kate Marsh had tried to kill herself and the only person who gave a shit was Max, and she had pushed herself to the absolute limits of her power to talk her down.

_And I fucking guilt tripped for taking her call… I’m so glad she didn’t listen listen to me._

It was still infuriating reading the reception she got in principle Wells’ office after she saved that girls life, especially coming from David. She was a hero and they still threw suspicion at her.

**_“After being grilled in the principal's den, I hung out with Warren on the lawn so I could feel grass under my feet and watch the fluffy clouds. He's such a sweetheart, he kept telling me how proud he was that I stopped Kate from jumping. I don't believe that I did, but I have to say it's better to be treated like a hero at school than like a twee loser.”_ **

**** _Leave it to Super Max to be self deprecating even after saving someone’s life. Waldo sounds… nice._

She felt a pang of guilt reading this. She couldn’t help but feel it should have been her there comforting her, not some random boy. And on that note she finished the event log of Tuesday and decided further reading needed to take place back at her house. The junkyard wasn’t home anymore, and the longer she stayed here the more she felt she had over stayed her welcome.

//

When Chloe returned from American Rust she was greeted to an empty house. She made her way back up to her room and lit up a joint to try and calm her ever fraying nerves before continuing on any further in her readings. The day and it’s revelations had already taken an unexpected toll on her mentally and emotionally and she needed some serious self medication before she dug any deeper, she had a feeling she was going to need it.

Wed Oct 9

The start of the next entry had shifted to a noticeably darker tone. It wasn’t really surprising considering the stress she had faced with Kate trying to kill herself and watching Chloe die numerous times repeatedly. It was enough to shake anyone’s nerves much less an 18 year old girl with the power of time and space suddenly dumped on her shoulders. The only upside seemed to be that Chloe had persuaded Max into late night shenanigans that consisted of breaking into Blackwell, raiding Principal Wells’ office, and some personal swim time in the pool. Chloe couldn’t help but be a bit envious of as she looked at the picture of herself seated comfortably in Wells’ chair. She definitely wanted to experience that again, or for the first time again… or whatever. Fuck time travel. The time at the pool gave her some insight into just how much she and Max had grown back together as friends and she couldn’t help but wonder if she would ever have that chance again.

**_“Chloe and I had a nice chat about our lives since I left... We talked about dumb boys and girls and why they're trouble... especially for me. I feel like a groupie when I talk to Chloe about our life experience... she has me so beat. I take pictures, she takes action.”_ **

**** _Does she really see me that way? After all the shit I’ve said and drug her through, how does she not see me as anything more than a complete fuck-up?_

The morning after the Blackwell ninja escapades is where things got interesting for Chloe. She finally found the corresponding journal entry to the photo that fell into her truck earlier in the day, but what followed had Chloe’s jaw almost hitting the floor.

_I DARED HER TO KISS ME?!! AND SHE ACTUALLY DID IT?! WHAT… Mind. Fucking. Blown._

Not to say she hadn’t had a thing for Max back when they were tweens, hell she was probably her first real crush, but reading this was definitely not what she expect to find. And she would never admit it, but she subconsciously cursed her past self for using something as ridiculous as a dare to make a kiss happen and then pulling back like a bitch when she actually did it, but then again it was Max she was talking about….. She quickly shook the thought from her head and pressed on, which led to Max discovering more of David’s paranoid files and confronting him in front of Joyce to which she promptly kicked his ass to the curb.

_Super Max for the fucking win on that one! Hella yes!_

Thursday Oct 10

Her small victory was cut short by the next topic which was raiding Frank’s RV for more clues into his and Rachel’s relationship. She stared at the picture Max had included of Rachel dressed in nothing more than underwear dancing on his bed and it didn’t take much analyzing to realize what exactly that relationship had been. Chloe almost threw journal across the room after reading what they had discovered. Another betrayal, another fucking lie. Somehow she knew it was leading up to this, as much as she didn’t want to believe it, there was too much evidence pointing in that direction, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt all the same. And of course, past Chloe did what she does best, blew the fuck up.

**_“Chloe was so upset when we discovered that Rachel had actually been involved with Frank Bowers and she just blew up. I can never talk to her when she's like this and I just get so tired of having to walk on eggshells around her emotions. She still blames William for her messed up life, no matter how much she knows she's being unfair. I can't say that I wouldn't be just as messed up. Not that I'm not in my own way.”_ **

_How has Max been dealing with my shit all this time on top of hers? Did I just blow up on her around every fucking corner? Jesus whats wrong with me._

But then she continued reading to the part where Max went back to the day her dad died and prevented his death and she actually did throw the journal across the room this time.

“Fuckfuckfuck, what the fuck do you mean you saw my dad again Max?!” She started mumbling as she started pacing the room. This was something she had only dreamed about everyday since his death and now she was reading that Max had not only seen him, but also prevented the very downfall of her life. “But if she prevented that, then why is he not here? What changed?”

She calmed down and picked up the journal once again and continued from where she left off.

**_“I felt my heart drop when I rushed to Chloe's house. So when William opened the door, I prepared myself for the worst... That's when Chloe rolled forward in her wheelchair. Paralyzed from the neck down. I didn't even know what to say, so I covered my mouth in my typical gesture of shock and stupid. But Chloe's smile was so genuine and beautiful I almost cried.”_ **

The words felt like someone had knocked the air out of Chloe’s lungs. The consequences of Max’s decision had directly put her in a wheelchair and her family upwards of a million dollars in debt that was burying them.

**_“And then Chloe asked me to put her to sleep.”_ **

_Oh Max.._

**_“I agreed to help her, simply because she explained that she wanted to have a choice for the last time in her life... How could I argue with that? Especially since I knew I screwed up the entire universe by making a "simple" decision. And I knew I would have to go back eventually and accept the timeline that actually happened... So Chloe and I had one last movie night watching "Blade Runner", falling asleep to the sounds of Vangelis, and when I woke up, I put my best friend to sleep... forever.”_ **

Chloe didn’t know how to feel about that. She understood the request, she would have wanted the same thing if she was in that situation now. But asking Max to basically kill her? She didn’t understand how she was still still sane after after all this. Chloe had no idea how she would even cope with being asked to make that decision if she was in her shoes. She pushed through the thought as she continued reading about Max’s return after setting the timeline back to normal. Regardless of what happened between them in the future, she decided she would never blame Max for her choice.

**_“I've never been so glad to see Chloe in my life. The second I saw her blue hair and that beautiful pissed off face I wanted to kiss her again. And I couldn't even tell her where I had been... or why. It would be one more thing to alienate Chloe from me and the world.”_ **

_I wonder if that’s how she felt when she woke up in that hospital room? And after I shut her out completely after hearing about Rachel, I must have made her feel completely alone in the world after she worked so hard to gain my trust again…_

**_“Honestly, with all of the impending doom and sadness, I felt so... happy. Just to find myself back in action with my best friend and her butterfly blue hair.”_ **

_Well it’s official, I am literally the worlds biggest piece of shit._

The rest of the entry comprised of Max going to see Kate in the hospital and gathering more intel on Nathan in their search for Rachel. Chloe was particularly satisfied with the epic beat down Waldo gave Nathan in the dorms, she made a mental note to bear hug the shit out of him if she ever got the chance to meet him. The investigation led them to Frank again and after a miraculous turn of events, no doubt thanks to Max’s rewind skills, he agreed to lend some help which in turn, directed their search to the “Dark Room.” Chloe knew enough about the place from recent news events to tell this was where things were about to go to shit even more than they already had. Her suspicions were confirmed when she read about their discovery of the red binders with Kate, Rachel and even Victoria’s name written on them. It made her sick knowing the first ones to discover Rachel’s body in the junkyard was none other than herself and Max, and reading Max’s description of digging up her corpse forced her to put the journal down to to collect herself for a moment.

After all her searching she had finally found her angel, and Max was with her every step of the way, never leaving her side despite all the bullshit Chloe had put her through and all the bullshit she was dealing with herself. She had never felt more selfish and grateful in all her life, but above all else, she had never felt more loved. She sat there and and held her head and let her tears silently flow down her face, overwhelmed with regret at how she had treated her best friend. She may not have known all this when Max had woken up, but Max had reached out to her and she just brushed her off like she was nothing, without even giving her the chance to explain. She could only hope she still had time to fix this, that it wasn’t too late, and that Max would forgive her.

Oct 11 Friday

She picked up Max’s journal and was greeted with, surprise, more death. Jefferson had shot her at the junkyard because she had acted brash and ran into the situation blind and Max had been drugged as a result and taken to Jefferson’s dark room to be his next victim.

_Max didn’t deserve any of this! She’s done nothing but stick her neck out for other people and this is her reward? Fuck this!_

All Chloe wanted to do was to rip that sick fuck apart piece by piece for making her friends suffer. Reading about Max’s terror and hopelessness as she was mentally tortured by Jefferson in that disgusting room was almost more than she could stand. She was relieved when Max managed to escape through time and create a reality that sent both Jefferson and Nathan to jail, even if it was short lived and the timeline had to be erased in the end. What she hated the most out of that timeline was the loss of Max’s photography award.

**_“But it was so nice just to have a safe, peaceful moment for myself, where my dreams came true instead of my nightmares. I had a real vision of my future and who I wanted to be. So I won't feel bad about rewinding time once again to destroy my contest photo. The storm is still coming to Arcadia Bay, which means Chloe's life is still in danger. No prize or exhibition is worth losing her again.”_ **

She deserved to be recognized as a hero after that week from hell, and she wasn’t even allowed to keep that. She thought Chloe’s life was more important. Important enough to go through the dark room again with no way out this time. For the first time in her life she was actually glad for David’s existence, if it wasn’t for him Max would probably be dead and so would Chloe and Victoria. She still couldn’t figure out how the storm came into play and why it never happened in her current timeline, it seemed like the driving force in all this but it was still unclear as to how. The only mention of the storm, however, made it apparent it was on a catastrophic level.

**_“ Apocalypse Arcadia Bay._ **

**_I never felt the raw force of nature, but this storm is ground zero. My town is being destroyed and I'm so furious that I didn't pay more attention to my visions. I could have warned and saved so many people... instead of watching them die around me.”_ **

Max having survived the drive through town and successfully finding Warren in the Two Whales seemed to be where the journal was nearing its end. She managed to focus jump back to the End of the World party and calm Chloe down enough for her to follow Max’s instructions and successfully warn David. 

**_“It sounds so stupid to say that she's my hero, but if not her, who else? Sometimes Chloe and I feel like yin and yang._ **

**_Who knows? Maybe we're here to give each other strength... or more._ **

_I still can’t believe after everything the universe dumped on her she still considers me her hero. All I do is bitch and die. Your self esteem is the first thing I’m gonna unfuck Max._

Then end the story took an abrupt turn leaving Chloe with more questions than answers.

**_“There is nothing like the sense of relief after waking up from a vivid nightmare. Despite all the terrible things that have been happening this past week, I felt so free and hopeful when I finally woke up. And my nightmare was so obvious... all my fears about being an artist, about my rewind power, and, of course, about my partner in crime and time, Chloe Price. Chloe is more than my best friend, but who knows how she really sees me? She did dare me to kiss her, but she seemed surprised that I actually did. I am too, but I don't regret it for a second. Maybe that's why I hated watching Chloe being so cruel in the nightmare, calling me names and flirting with all those people... I was surprised that it was like a physical pain in my heart. Is that the power of friendship... or love?_ **

**_I believe you're about to find out, Max Caulfield.”_ **

After a long pause Chloe finally closed the journal. To say it was a major head trip would be an understatement, it was more like an epic mind fuck. She still had so many questions. What happened in that nightmare, how did they stop the storm and what did Max find out on that cliff at the end of the world? One thing was for certain though, somehow Max Caulfield had bent time and space to save everyone including Chloe, and she would never leave her again.


	7. Choose Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I just wanted to clarify something I forgot to mention earlier on. There are some time gaps and friendships that seem like they just kinda came out of nowhere, like how Victoria became semi chill and skipped days. These will be explained in later chapters and it was set up this way for a reason. Sorry if that came off as lazy writing, I just forgot to forewarn.

The truck barreled down the road through the cold torrents of rain. Chloe didn’t know what she was going to say to Max when she saw her, and maybe it was just her impulsive nature on overdrive, but she knew she needed to get there as soon as possible.

After what seemed like the longest drive of her life she finally arrived and pulled in the parking lot and made her way across campus. It didn’t dawn on her until after she had managed to sneak into the girls dorms that she had no idea what room Max was in. She couldn’t very well go knocking on every door, and as much as she wanted to just say fuck it, she knew security would be on her ass in an instant. She was stuck contemplating what to do, when a small blond haired girl, dressed in very proper clothes with a gold cross hanging from her neck, stepped out of a room. She met Chloe’s dumbfounded gaze with a look of surprise mixed with something else, maybe recognition?

“Uh hey, do you happen to know which room Max Caulfield is in?” She asked hesitantly as she moved toward the girl.

The girl narrowed her eyes slightly, the expression looked a little out of place on her soft face.

“What’s your name?” The girl asked abruptly, her tone taking Chloe by surprise.

“Uhh, C-Chloe, Chloe Price?”

As she introduced herself another girl came out of the room behind her, someone Chloe, unfortunately, was very familiar with. Victoria fucking Chase. She looked between Chloe and the other girl for a moment, analyzing the situation before stepping next to the blond in a defensive manner.

“What the fuck are you doing here Kari Price?” She crossed her arms as she looked over Chloe with a scowl on her face.

“It’s Chloe, and I don’t have time for your shit right now, I just need to find out what room Max is in.”

She scoffed “Haven’t you done enough damage to Maxine already? You’re wasting your time, the hipster isn’t here so you can see yourself out now.” She waved motioning towards the door.

“What do you mean she isn’t here? Do you know where she is?” She asked, trying to hide the desperation in her voice.

“Chloe, what do you want with Max?” The blond girl asked.

“I just need to talk to her ok, now can you please just tell me where she is?”

“Kate don’t waste your time. We don’t know where she is Price and even if we did we wouldn’t tell you. You’re the last person she probably wants to see.” Victoria snapped.

“What the fuck would you know about me and Max?” Chloe was struggling to keep her frustration under control.

Victoria narrowed her eyes and started walking towards Chloe “Oh, I don’t know, how about when you basically told her she should have just bled out after she saved your trashy ass. How about telling her to go fuck herself when you were too busy crying over that manipulative bitch Amber. You have no idea what we’ve had to deal with trying to piece her back together. I never even liked her twee hipster ass and even I wasn’t as much of a bitch to her as you were.” She spit venom with each word, poking Chloe’s chest until she had her backed against the wall.

Chloe was stunned into silence. Normally she wouldn’t hesitate to deck anyone in the face who spoke to her like that, especially Victoria fucking Chase, but she knew every word was true and she couldn’t find it in her to argue the facts. She deflated against the wall and debated just leaving and coming back when she had a better plan, when Kate suddenly stepped in.

“Chloe, I’m gonna ask you again, what do you want with Max?” She spoke in a soft but stern voice.

“I fucked up. I don’t know how you know about any of that, but I fucked up so bad and I just want to talk to her. I need to make this right. Please, just tell me what the fucks been going on.” She pleaded.

Kate stared at her for a moment longer, eyeing her closely, then finally let out a sigh.

“Look Chloe, Max is one of the kindest people I know and a very good friend. I was at the hospital that day you told her those things, she didn’t know I was there. You hurt her deeply, and I don’t want to see her hurt like that again, do you understand?”

“I promise. I promise I will never do anything to hurt her like that ever again. I was so fucking stupid to say that shit, I didn’t mean any of it, I just took it out on her because I was hurt.”

It surprised Chloe at how easily the words flowed from her, talking about emotions was never her strong point, especially to someone she didn’t even know. This Kate girl just had a certain air about her that made it so easy to be honest with her. Then she realized why the name sounded so familiar, it was the same Kate from Max’s journal, it had to be. She understood why Max thought so highly of her now, she had such a kind and honest demeanor, yet somehow seemed very protective of the people she cared about.

“Ok Chloe I’m going to trust you. Come on, we can talk in my room, it’s right across from Max’s”

Victoria glared at Chloe and side stepped around her and followed Kate into her dorm with Chloe close behind.

“Does she have to be here?” Chloe motioned towards Victoria.

“Shut it Price, if you don’t like me here, you’re more than welcome to leave.”

She sighed dejectedly and went to sit on the couch. “Ok, so sorry to cut to the chase, no pun intended Vicky, but tell me what’s wrong with Max?”

Victoria just groaned and rolled her eyes as Kate began to explain.

“When Max got out of the hospital everything seemed to be pretty normal, well as normal as you could expect. She obviously wasn’t fine but she seemed like she was trying to work through what happened to her, we both were.” She looked down for a moment. “Anyways, she began acting strangely after a few days and started distancing herself from everyone and shutting herself up in her room. Every time I tried to talk to her she just looked so… sad. It was like she had given up.”

“She was basically falling the fuck apart” Victoria interrupted “I had to drag her ass out of her room to even get her to eat.”

Kate continued “Then she started getting these nightmares. They seemed to be getting worse every night, I tried to get her to talk about it but she would just shut me out. Then about two days ago she just stopped coming back to the dorms, I saw her a few times on campus the day after she left but she seemed like she was avoiding me. She hasn’t been back since and we can’t get her to answer her phone.” Kate’s voice started to break a little at the end.

“I’m guessing she left the dorms because of her nightmares” Victoria continued, “they were getting pretty intense. Towards the end, she was waking up half the dorm.”

Chloe was feeling shittier and shittier with every word. She knew all of this had to do with the time fuckery Max was so graciously bestowed upon, but she didn’t expect her to vanish. She started to panic, she already lost one friend and now it was happening with Max, all over again. Before she could spiral any further she turned to Kate and asked if she had a key to her room. If she was going to find any clues that was the most obvious place to start.

“Yes, she gave me a spare a while back in case I ever needed to water her plant while she was away.” She pulled it out of her drawer and handed it to Chloe. “I’m just going to warn you though, it’s not….pretty.”

“Thank you Kate I really appreciate you being a good friend to Max, and I’m sorry for not being there for her sooner.” Chloe said quietly as she rubbed the back of her neck.

“But if you don’t mind me asking, how the fuck did you befriend Icky Vicky of all people?” She asked with genuine curiosity.

Victoria stepped forward and shoved her out the door as she made her way into the corridor “That’s none of your fucking concern Kari, now get the fuck out.”She stopped and glanced over her shoulder before making her way down the hall “and if you fucking hurt Maxine again and I hear about it, I’ll personally burn down the trailer park you crawled out from.” And with that she sauntered to her room and slipped through the door.

“Don’t mind her.” Kate chuckled “she won’t admit it, but she actually really respects Max, this is her way of being protective I guess.”

_God, how are you this fucking precious Kate?_

“Well I can’t say I approve of the company she keeps but I’m glad she has people who care about her.” She looked down guiltily.

“I don’t know you very well and what I do know hasn’t exactly been… reassuring, but I meant what I said when I told you I trusted you. Just please find her, and make sure she understands how important she is to you as well.”

Kate placed her hand on her arm reassuringly and gave her a small smile. Chloe nodded and turned to face Max’s door. She was scared of what she would find, and even more scared that Max might not want anything to do with her after everything, but she couldn’t afford to waste anymore time doubting herself. Without further hesitation she turned the key and entered her room, and holy shit what a room it was. It looked like the apocalyptic storm Max had envisioned had made its way here with the specific intent to destroy all her shit. Desk drawers were pulled out on the floor, clothes were thrown everywhere and Polaroids littered every surface as if they had been ripped from the wall in a rage. Max’s room made Chloe’s look like the Taj fucking Mahal by comparison. She made her way to the center of the room when she noticed a trash can by the desk overflowing with tissues covered in blood. Whether they were from her chest wound or frequent nose bleeds she couldn’t tell, but she bet on the latter. Next to it was a prescription pill bottle partially hidden that appeared to be mostly full.

_Antibiotics?_

She sat them down on the desk and began looking over anything that might give her an idea of where Max might have gone. She rummaged through some papers and looked through some of the strewn out drawers but didn’t find anything of much interest. She tried calling her phone in case she left it in the room but it went straight to voicemail so she could only assume she either still had it with her or she blocked Chloe’s number. She made her way over to her bed and found more blood stains on the pillow. When she pulled the covers back, she discovered a small spiral ring notebook lying underneath. As she flipped through the pages she realized it was another journal, probably intended to replace the one currently in Chloe’s possession. The first entry dated back to the previous Monday.

Monday Oct 14

**_“ I guess I’ll consider this a new chapter in my life since my old journal went MIA after the shooting. The universe probably sucked it back up in a vortex to hide the evidence that it royally fucked my life up. It could have at least let me keep my pictures, rude. So, my second first meeting with Chloe went about as expected, worse actually. I can’t blame her really, at least in the other timeline we had a goal that brought us together to help us rebuild our friendship. This Chloe already knows how she lost Rachel, the most important person in her life, and I’m just Max Caulfield, shit friend extraordinaire, who randomly shows up in a bathroom to take a bullet for her and knows more shit than she should. Stalker vibe much? Probably. I don’t really know where to go from here. I thought I’d be happy to return to a normal life, but honestly, things feel so trivial in comparison to the week me and Chloe spent dodging death and freak storms. Speaking of storms, I still don’t know how it was prevented in the first place. I was offered two garbage choices and chose a third option on impulse and somehow that seemed to be the answer. Other Max, as I like to call her, keeps telling me I’m the reason. She says I was supposed to die as payment since that’s what I chose. I don’t know if I’m just going crazy or if she’s real. Chloe’s meltdown seemed to prove her point which kind of freaked me out: “you don’t belong here, and the longer you wait the more people around you will suffer” ominous right? For now I’m just going to go with the flow and try and get some small sense of normalcy back in my life. If Chloe could hate me less and these nightmares could go away that’d be a great start. Only time will tell *groan*”_ **

_What do you mean you were supposed to die? What were the first two choices that made you think you had to offer yourself instead? And who the fuck is Other Max?! Agghhh_

Before Chloe could get any more frustrated with her ever growing mountain of questions and lack of answers, she continued on to the next entry.

Tuesday Oct 15

**_“I tried to contact Chloe yesterday and at least try and talk, she shut me down immediately and pretty much told me to go fuck myself. I was hoping if I gave her some time to cool off maybe she would be willing to let me apologize if nothing else. Im not going to force my way into her life if she doesn’t want me there, not if it only hurts her. Other Max was right, I’ve made enough decisions on her behalf and it’s not fair to her. I don’t have the right to manipulate people’s lives for my own benefit like I did last week. It fucking hurts not being able to talk to her, though. I didn’t realize how much she truly meant to me until I couldn’t have her anymore, and all I can think about is that last moment with her on the cliff watching the storm. Even though it was horrible, sometimes I find myself wishing I was back in that moment, replaying all those words she said and what I was finally brave enough to do. My nightmares are getting worse. I haven’t had a decent nights sleep since I woke up from the coma. I can’t get his voice out of my head. Chloe is always dead. It never stops. ~~Maybe I don’t belong here.~~ School starts back next Monday, some of the students have already moved back in. It’ll be nice to see Kate and Warren finally, I could really use some friends again.”_ **

_I swear when I see you Max the first thing you’re gonna tell me is what happened by that goddamn lighthouse._

Thursday Oct 17

**_“It’s been a while since I’ve written. I can’t keep track of what day it is anymore. Sometimes I wake up screaming and wonder what timeline I’m in. Every time I close my eyes I’m back in the dark room, or over dosing Chloe, or watching Kate fall off the roof over and over and over, so I avoid closing my eyes for as long as I can. I know Kate and Warren are worried about me, hell even Victoria barged in my room the other day and checked on me. I know I’m keeping them up at night on top of everything. This will be my last night at the dorms, I can’t keep fucking up everything around me, no one deserves to deal with my shit. She was right all along, all I do is make those around me suffer. The storm is gone, Chloe’s alive, everyone’s ok. Isn’t that enough? Isn’t that what I wanted? Why doesn’t it feel ok? ~~You know why .~~ Why don’t I feel ok? ~~Because you don’t belong here.~~ I miss her so fucking much. ~~She doesn’t miss you.~~ I feel so heavy. My chest is burning and my body feels like it’s on fire and so cold I’m shaking, all at the same time. Maybe my body knows the truth I’m too afraid to accept and this is its way of telling me. Maybe it’s time I just give up and finally accept the truth too. I don’t fucking belong here. I need to fix this.”_ **

_Max… none of this is true. Fuck, I’m so sorry I made you feel this way, I’m so sorry you had to do this alone_ _because I’m such a piece of shit. Please just let me fucking find you!_

Chloe knew things had taken a serious turn for the worse and her heart sped up in panic. Max was not ok, she didn’t know what she meant by “fixing it” but it gave her an unsettling feeling. If Max really thought she was supposed to die in that bathroom for the storm to stay away then…. Oh fuck.

_No no no no no no_

She threw the journal across the room and ran out the door not bothering to shut it behind her. Her mind was in full blown panic mode at the insinuation of Max’s reasoning. She bolted down the hall in a full on sprint until she made it to the courtyard trying to get to her truck as fast as she could. Max didn’t think she belonged here anymore, she fucking saved everyone over and over again and now that everything was ok she wasn’t needed anymore. Chloe didn’t know where to even begin looking for her, she knew she wouldn’t stay at someone’s house because of the nightmares. The junkyard was out of the question as well since Chloe had already been there earlier in the day and saw no sign of Max. Where could she be? The storm outside was raging. The temperature had dropped during the week and each drop of rain stung against her skin as the wind cut through her clothes with an icy chill. With Max’s mind being as unstable as it was she probably thought this was the time storm returning to take everything away.

Chloe jumped into the truck and cranked the engine.

 _Fucking think Chloe! Where could she have gone? Come on come on come on come on…Wait. The hideout. That’s got to be it! It’s right next to the lighthouse and the one place no one else knows about. No one but me bitches! You better still be there Max or I swear I will kick your ass!_

She put the truck in gear and spun out of the parking lot with reckless abandon. She could only hope she made it in time.

//

**_It’s time Max, the storm is here, you can’t wait any longer._ **

_Please… not again. I can’t do this again._

**_You know how to fix it this time, stop being a coward and accept your choice. This is what you wanted remember._ **

_Is it not enough that I’m fucking miserable? Why does it want me so badly, what did I do to deserve any of this?_

**_It will never stop, you’re an anomaly Maxine, you shouldn’t exist in the first place. Don’t you find it odd the answer to the storm was your life? The universe made a mistake. Get the fuck over it already._ **

_Maybe you’re right. As long as everyone is ok that’s all that really matters. I can’t be happy here, not like this._

**_That’s the spirit! I’m glad you’re finally seeing things my way Maxine, now get your ass up and let’s get going. This storm ain’t gettin any smaller._ ** ****

_Yeah… I guess you’re right. It’s time to end this._

_//_

Chloe pulled up to the beachside parking at the foot of the trail leading to the light house and killed the truck’s engine. If Max wasn’t here she didn’t know what what she was going to do, she didn’t have many other options at this point but this seemed like her best bet. The rain continued to pour with no signs of letting up anytime soon. Lighting flashed across the sky and thunder cracked with such an intensity, it was like nature was taking all its anger out on everything below. She pushed forward up the trail, concentrating on her footing as the mud threatened to hinder her progress up the steep slope. After some difficulty, she approached a familiar tree with an odd twist in one of its lower branches marking the location of the side trail leading to the hideout. The landscape had overgrown enough over the past five years to make navigating it’s twists and turns challenging in the current torrential downpour. She finally came to a clearing and focused on what appeared to be a small glow in the distance, barely visible through the rain.

_Oh thank fuck, she’s here. Please let that be Max and not a hobo._

She made her way through the clearing and approached the small wooden shack her father had helped them build all those years ago. She hadn’t been back to it since Max left and her father died, but she was surprised it was still standing, and in relatively decent condition. She located the makeshift door and started knocking on it furiously.

“Max? It’s Chloe, look I’m coming in there and I just wanna talk so don’t freak ok?” She listened a moment and when she didn’t hear any signs of movement on the other side she pried the door open and stepped inside. She was greeted to an empty room, lit up by a small battery powered lantern in the corner by a makeshift bed. A pillow and a thin fleece blanket lay on the floor haphazardly. There were small droplets of blood on the wooden floor, some looked fresh judging by the color. She was disappointed Max had already left, but at least she knew she had been here and not too long ago. Chloe scanned the room over and only found a dead cellphone, a few articles of clothing and a half drank bottle of water. Next to her pillow was a piece of paper laying on the floor. She picked it up and flipped it over to reveal a photo of Chloe’s smiling face along with Max in their pirate costumes as kids. She felt tears forming in the corners of her eyes at the memory, but quickly wiped them away.

_Too fucking late again…_

She turned around and ran out the door headed back towards the trail. She couldn’t shake the feeling she was running out of time. Her lungs were screaming with every step of her uphill sprint as she grew closer to the peak of the the cliff. She could smell the electricity in the air mixed with salt as she finally made her ascent to the top. She bent over with her hands on her knees breathing heavily, scouring the area for any sign of her brunette pain in the ass. Then she saw her.

She stood near the cliff’s edge, head hung low, looking out to the sea and shaking violently. Chloe felt a surge of relief that was cut short when she focused on the girl. Max looked so small and vulnerable standing there all alone, framed against the raging storm and vast ocean.

“Max! Max, it’s Chloe!” She yelled through the wind, slowly making her way to the edge.

“Chloe… I wish you were here. I don’t want to do this anymore.” She mumbled.

“I’m right here Maxi, I’m so fucking sorry. I didn’t mean any of it, I swear.”

“I don’t want this. Why couldn’t it have just ended in the bathroom?”

“D-don’t, don’t you fucking say that! You’re here because you’re supposed to be! Please just turn around and talk to me!”

Max let out a choked sob, and as she brought her hands up only then did Chloe noticed she was holding something in her right hand, it was a small pistol. Hands still shaking, she brought the gun up to her temple, still facing the ocean.

“Maxine Caulfield, don’t you fucking do this! The storm is gone! It’s not coming back! Please!” Tears started rolling down her face as she pleaded, inching closer to the small girl on the edge of the abyss.

“Stop fucking with my head! Isn’t this what you wanted?! Why are you doing this now?!”

“What are you talking about, of course I don’t fucking want this! I want you Max! Put that goddamn gun down!”

Max started sobbing and gripped her hair with her other hand as she shook her head back and forth.

“STOP DOING THIS! GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HEAD!” 

A small chime sounded in the distance and the the world seemed to freeze in an instant. Rain drops were suspended in air, a flash of lighting frozen in the sky. There was complete silence and Chloe just looked around in awe trying to process what she was seeing. Then she saw a figure move from in front of Max into view. It was Max, but wearing Rachel’s clothes that were supposed to be in Chloe’s closet. She had her arms crossed, wearing a smug grin as she walked slowly around Max’s shaking form.

**_Well look who decided to show up. It’s the bitch of the hour._ **

“Who the fuck are you? Or what are you?” Chloe took a step back.

**_I’m Max obviously, or are you too high to see straight?_ **

“Fuck you, you’re not Max. Get away from her.”

 **_Or you’ll do what? Oh no, I’m not going anywhere, we have a job to finish that you’re rudely interrupting, by the way._ ** ****

“Max what the hell is going on?! Talk to me!”

“I have to do this, I don’t belong here Chloe. The storm will come back if I don’t fix this.” Max spoke in barely a whisper.

“You keep saying that but why? What does that mean? Why can’t you be here?”

 **_Let me give you a little demonstration since you’re too dense to get it._ ** ****

Suddenly the world shifted around her flickering into a new scene. A storm was still present but it was like nothing Chloe had ever seen. Over the ocean a massive vortex of water and wind took form, headed in the direction of Arcadia Bay. She watched as _her_ Max violently shuddered and choked out another sob.

“I-I don’t understand. The storm never came, why does Max have to do this?”

 ** _When you two were on the cliff watching the storm come in she had a choice. She could let it fuck up the whole town and watch everyone die, or go back and let your useless ass die when you were supposed to in that bathroom. Simple choice right? But no, Maxine here had to pick door number three and chose herself. Always the selfish one. The only problem was she didn’t die. She made her choice and now she has to follow through with it._** Other Max looked at her fingernails as if completely bored with the conversation.

“Max, is this true? Is that why you went back?” She spoke softly.

“I’m s-so sorry C-Chloe. I-I couldn’t do it. You a-asked me to go back a-and let you d-die and I couldn’t fucking do it again! You didn’t d-deserve that! I didn’t know I was s-stoping the storm when I got s-shot, but this is the only way to fix this, s-so everyone lives.”

“Everyone except you!! This is bullshit! You did nothing but save my ass and everyone else’s over and over again during that week. You deserve to rest Max..”

“Chloe, this is the only way-“

“I don’t give a fuck! I won’t trade you, the storm can raze that shithole town to the ground for all I care! I choose you Max!”

“W-what?” She stopped and slowly turned around, confusion warping her face.

“I said, I choose you. The universe can suck it and sort out it’s own shit. You belong here Max, and regardless what happens I’ll always be with you. So please… don’t leave me again.”

Chloe slowly closes the distance between her and Max and placed her hand on the one holding the gun and gently brought it down. Max was still shaking uncontrollably as Chloe gently brought her into her arms and rested her chin on her head, rubbing her back softly.

“I’ll always choose you Max” she whispered into her hair “so choose me.”

Max’s shoulders slumped as her body fell limp against her friend. As Chloe caught her the time freeze broke and brought them back to the current reality. Other Max faded away as the storm continued to rage around them. She took Max’s face in her hands, the blood pouring from her nose and rolling down her chin. Despite the blood and her gaunt features, she looked at peace for the first time since she came back in Chloe’s life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So math is hard, I actually had 7 chapters done not 8, but what evs. Now that I’m caught up posting my arsenal of saved up chapters I’ll be updating this as frequently as possible. Looking at 1-2 times a week. Night shift gives me pretty ample free time to fuck off unless shit gets crazy. If you’ve kept with me this far thank you so much! As always comments and criticism are welcome!


	8. Homecoming

Hospitals always freaked Chloe out. No one ever went to them because of anything good obviously, but they always made her feel anxious and out of place. It’s like the interior decorators made it their purpose in life to make people as uncomfortable as humanly fucking possible, and of course, today was no exception.

When she had finally drug Max off the cliff and hauled her into the truck, she tore off to the ER like a punk outta hell. She didn’t know what exactly was wrong with her when she brought her in, but it didn’t take a genius to tell she was breaking down both physically and mentally. She also didn’t know how being a human time machine affected the body, but she doubted they had a treatment plan available for time sickness so naturally she left that pre existing condition out of the medical questionnaire. Max was admitted immediately and now Chloe was left to wait for the arrival of her mother. It worked out in their favor that the Caulfields put them down on the family list last time they were in town. It gave her a chance to speak with Joyce before they broke the news to her parents, which was going to be a nightmare knowing the ever protective Vanessa from her childhood.

It might not have been the best thing to do, but she also left out her suicide attempt. If they locked her down under a 72 hour suicide watch and started asking questions there was no telling what would come out of Max’s mouth in the state was in, and time travel would only grant her an extended stay in a one star mental facility. She didn’t realize just how alone Max really was until she started dodging questions the medical staff was throwing at her. She needed help, but the traditional means of getting it were out of the question. There were things she could research to try and understand how to help her better and if she was really feeling dedicated she could bite her pride and ask David how he dealt with things. She would need to get back on speaking terms with her mother first before she could even tackle talking with him though, and seeing as how she was walking through the door it looked like she was about to have her chance.

“Chloe. What is this about? What happened to Max?” She snapped, looking completely unamused, bordering on pissed.

“Don’t worry, she’s ok, I’ll explain everything, but I need to talk to you first.”

“Well get to talkin’. Did you have anything to do with this?”

“No, mom. Well, not directly.” She was struggling to find the right words to say. “Look, I fucked up alright. You were right about me, I acted selfishly and hurt Max in the process. She’s really not ok. I didn’t realize how bad off she really was until it was almost too late. She didn’t deserve that, no one did, and I’m sorry.” She looked down at her feet. Admitting her shortcomings was never easy for Chloe, but she knew she had to be honest for this to work.

Joyce stared at her like she just heard the news Jesus had just returned and was taking a vaca in the bay. “Chloe, slow down and tell me what this is all about.” She asked a little more softly.

Chloe gritted her teeth and let out a deep breath. “I need to ask you to do me a favor. I know I don’t deserve it and you have every right to be ashamed of me, but I’m asking this for Max.”

Joyce was a bit taken aback at the level of seriousness her daughter was displaying. It was so uncharacteristic and yet so familiar she couldn’t help but think about her father and how he got that same look when he was determined beyond reason.

She sighed and relaxed her shoulders. “Come on, let’s sit down and I’ll promise to listen to what you have to say.”

And so they went through the corridor to sit down to have a long discussion. Chloe only hoped she was making the right choice speaking on Max’s behalf, but if anyone could call Chloe out on her shit if she was making a mistake, it was Joyce, and she trusted her to do just that.

//

Chloe had sat there looking at Max’s sleeping form for what must have been at least 6 hours now. The gentle rise and fall of her chest mixed with the rhythmic beeping of the EKG was almost therapeutic. She would occasionally twitch and whimper, alerting her of the unpleasant dreams no doubt plaguing her mind. Anytime these disturbances made themselves known, Chloe would hold her hand, rubbing small circles over her knuckles and whisper reassurances until she finally calmed down. She didn’t know if it actually helped, but she at lease wanted her to know she wasn’t alone if nothing else. Chloe had been working on what to say to Max when she finally woke up, but didn’t even know where to begin. An apology first and fucking foremost was an obvious start. She had never been so scared in her life than when she was on that cliff watching Max wrestle with the weight of the world, one finger twitch away from oblivion. She might not even want her there for all she knew, so far Chloe’s given her shit in two different timelines that she knew of, hers being the worst of the two by a long shot. One thing was for certain though, she wouldn’t leave her alone again. Even if Max hated her after everything was said and done, she’d spend the rest of her life making up for it.

She got lost counting the freckles that dusted her face for what had to be the hundredth time since Max got admitted, when she noticed her eyes lids starting to flutter. She made a series of small grunts as she slowly started to open her eyes, rapidly blinking away the sleep. Chloe didn’t say a word, everything she had planned to say got caught in her throat as she realized she wasn’t nearly as prepared for her awakening as she thought. Max’s expression went from confusion to sheer panic in a matter of seconds as she started breathing rapidly.

“No no no no. Not again, why am I back here again?! I can’t relive another fucking week!” Her words started running into each other.

“Max! Max, calm down! It’s Monday, the 21st, you haven’t started over again, just breathe.” Chloe stood up and gently placed her arms on Max’s shoulders to keep her in the bed. The look of desperation on her face was heartbreaking to watch, and Chloe wished more than anything she could just scoop her up in her arms and hold her tight.

“Chloe? What…what happened? Why am I here, I-I though…the cliff…and…Wait, how did you know I thought the week restarted?” Her eyes widened trying to piece the situation together.

Chloe retracted her hands and sat back down when it looked like Max wasn’t going to jump out of her skin. “You can control time, I know. We can get to that in a minute though. What, uh, what do you remember from the cliff exactly?” She spoke hesitantly.

Max stared at the wall, visibly struggling to remember the events of the night, then slowly began speaking. “I was there, and the storm was back. I was… I was there to fix it, I had a gun a-and…and then you… You found me?” She turned to Chloe, face filled with confusion “how did you know I was there?”

“I found your journal in my truck, I didn’t remember I had taken it from the bathroom. I wasn’t trying to be nosy or anything, I swear, but a photo of us I didn’t remember taking fell out so I started reading and… well I ended up at the dorms to find you and one thing lead to another.” She looked down guiltily “Fuck I’m so sorry Max, I was such an asshole to you and then I found you on that cliff…. I-I thought that was it. I though I’d never see you again.” She trailed off in a whisper.

Max sighed and leaned back covering her eyes with her forearms. “Don’t be sorry Chloe, everything you said was true. I fucked up, I-I left you a-and I should have died in that fucking bathroom.” Her voice started breaking into choked sobs. “Why did you stop me? N-now it’s gonna c-come back a-and-”

“Max, stop. The storm isn’t coming back, everything is ok.” She moved to sit on the bed and grabbed her arms and slowly moved them from her face. “I didn’t know you were going through all this, but I never should have said any of that to you, I fucked up and pushed you away and I’m so sorry. I’m so fucking sorry, but you can’t keep believing you need to die to keep everyone safe, you have to stop blaming yourself.”

“But… everything I was feeling, everything she was saying-”

“Dude, you let your wound get infected, you’re body was breaking down and you were running a hella high fever. I found your antibiotics on the floor in your room, you kinda have to take them for them to work.” She chuckled lightly. “You’re also riddled with PTSD and anxiety, you were literally the definition of a ticking time bomb.” She smirked.

“Pfff, really Chloe? You’re going to use puns now of all times?” She said as she cracked a small smile through the tears. Chloe had to admit it was probably the most beautiful thing she had seen since this all started.

“What? Too soon?” She giggled, trying to prolong the mood.

The sat in comfortable silence for a moment as Max finally managed to calm down and her breathing steadied.

“How do you know it’s really over Chloe?” She said quietly, breaking the silence.

“I can’t know anything for sure, but from what I read in your journal, we haven’t had any weird moons or freak weather phenomenons.” She paused a moment and looked to the ground “even if it’s not over Max, we’ll deal with it together. Promise me you won’t keep trying to deal with this on your own.” She looked up at her with an uncharacteristically serious expression. Max looked away like she was contemplating something in her mind, and when she didn’t answer immediately Chloe pressed her for an answer.

“Promise me Max.” She said more sternly.

“I don’t want to drag you into this anymore than I already have. I’m seriously fucked up, Chloe.”

“Join the club Max.” She pulled her face to meet hers “please, promise me.”

She stared at Chloe with an expression that softened into something between relief and apprehension, then closed her eyes and nodded.

“Say it.”

“I promise.” She finally conceded “I don’t know what good it’s going to do though, I was already pushing my luck being allowed to stay here after the shooting. There’s no way my mom is going to let this go after I swore I wouldn’t do anything stupid.”

“And that, Maximus, is where you’re wrong.” Chloe said triumphantly. “I convinced my mom to tell her you were brought in because of the infection. She downplayed it enough that Vanessa agreed you could stay, but only because Joyce insisted you’d be living with us so she could keep an eye on you.”

“Are you cereal? Man, I really owe Joyce for putting her through all this.” She sighed “are you sure it’s ok though? I don’t exactly, uh, sleep well.” She finished sheepishly.

Chloe chuckled “Yes, I’m cereal. And don’t worry about that. Both mom and step-ass are on night rotation this month. Stop worrying, we’ll figure it out ok?” She gave a reassuring smile.

“Ok Chloe, and… thank you.” She looked down solemnly.

Chloe didn’t answer, just moved in close and wrapped her up in a hug as she placed a kiss on the top of her head. They stayed like this for a few moments, just enjoying each other’s presence before Chloe breathed out slowly into her hair.

“I’m glad you came back Max.”

//

Once the doctor was satisfied Max had at least a full day’s round of antibiotics in her system she was finally discharged later in the evening. Even though they knew nothing of her suicide attempt, it still wasn’t hard to figure out she was in a fragile mental state, especially since she was the morbid celebrity of the shooting not long ago. They had a counselor stop by to give her some resources for PTSD, but those options weren’t exactly viable for her situation. She knew she needed to deal with her issues, but she only had one person she could actually talk to, and to be honest she still wasn’t completely convinced this was all in her head. Those lingering thoughts of guilt and responsibility still gripped her mind and she feared it was only a matter of time before the storm came back. As much as she wanted to trust Chloe’s assurances that she was safe, she couldn’t fully buy it. Their newly established relationship was still fragile, and although Max trusted her, she also knew this Chloe hadn’t been through the brunt of what happened that week. She lacked a first hand understanding of why Max was broken in the first place. And if she had to be absolutely honest, she was still a little scared of Chloe. Her words had cut deep, and although she didn’t hold it against her, she wasn’t sure she could handle another guilt lashing like that.

All these thoughts set aside for now, she found herself in the driveway of the Price residence. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t a little apprehensive about this whole living situation, but she didn’t have any other options if she still wanted to stay in the Bay.

“Home shit home.” Chloe said as she shot her a nervous glance and removed the keys from the ignition.

Max only nodded and went to get out of the vehicle. They made their way to the front door and let themselves in and found Joyce in the kitchen getting ready to leave for work. Once she noticed the girls she began smiling.

“Max, welcome back again hon.” She said as she pulled her into a hug.

“I’m really sorry about all this Joyce, I didn’t mean to cause you all this trouble.” She looked down dejectedly.

“Now you hush, you’ll never be trouble in this house, ya hear? But I need your word if you ever feel like this again you’ll tell us. You’re like my own child Max, and I need you to understand that.” She looked at her pleadingly.

“Thank you Joyce, for everything, and I’ll do my best, I promise.” She tried to sound convincing.

“Good. Now then, go ahead and make yourself at home. I went and pulled the mattress out from the sofa and made y’all some supper when your ready for it.”

Chloe looked up “She can stay in my-”

“That sounds perfect, thank you again.” Max interjected.

“Of course honey, well I’m gonna head to work now and I’ll see y’all in the morning. I’ll change your bandages when I get in ok. And don’t forget to take your antibiotics.” She said shaking her finger like a worrisome mother.

Max simply nodded and gave her a small smile as Joyce went to head out the door. When she was gone she let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding as Chloe nervously shuffled over to her.

“Hey, um, you could’ve slept in my room if ya wanted. You know, if you wanted some privacy or whatever.” She said sounding unsure of herself.

“It’s ok Chloe, I’d rather be down here and no one is gonna be here at night to bother me anyways.” She dismissed quickly and gave an unconvincing smile.

Chloe deflated a little at that and rubbed her neck. “Oh, uh, ok. Anyways, let’s go ahead and eat some food and you can get ready for bed. I’m sure you’re beat after all this shit.” She said as she went to the stove and began pulling out the food Joyce left for them.

“It’s ok, I think I’m just going to go wash up and lay down.”

“No you don’t Maxi Pad, you have to eat with these antibiotics and you look like a starved fuckin cat. Sit. Now.” She said sternly.

Max sighed and rolled her eyes but she did as she was told when it didn’t look like Chloe was backing down. She wasn’t hungry, but she knew she was right.

Once Chloe got the food ready and they were seated at the table they began eating in a comfortable silence, Max only picking at her food, but it was progress.

“So what exactly did you tell Joyce.” She said breaking the silence.

“Obviously not everything, but I told her the truth, you needed help and you weren’t going to get it by going to Seattle under your parent’s thumb. It took some convincing to get her to let you stay, not because she didn’t want you here, but because of me.”

“What do you mean?” She looked up confused.

“We had a falling out after the first time we saw you at the hospital.” She sighed.

“What kind of falling out exactly?”

“Um, she basically disowned me. This morning at the ER is the first time we’ve talked since then.”

“Holy shit Chloe, really?” She dropped her fork and looked at her in surprise “I’m so sorry. Fuck.”

Chloe quickly reached over to grab her hand when she saw Max start to guilt trip herself.

“Don’t apologize for that, I’m the one that went fucking ballistic. She wasn’t wrong, I’m just glad she listened to me, its ok so don’t blame yourself dude.”

Chloe shook her hand lightly and looked at her reassuringly until Max finally nodded. It didn’t make her feel any better. She felt like she caused all this shit for Chloe and her family, not to mention her friends at Blackwell. The conversation with her parents earlier in the day wasn’t much better. Her mom all but threatened to drag her to Seattle by her hair if she made her worry again.

_Nobody deserves this. Why can’t I just be ok and stop hurting the people around me. I’d give anything to go back to boring old wallflower Max if it meant I could stop fucking everything up._

“Hey, you alright?” Chloe asked when she noticed Max starring off in the distance.

“Yeah, I’m fine, I think I just need some rest. I’m uh, gonna go wash up now.” She said as she went to get up.

“Ok, just, let me know if you need anything.” Chloe replied as she got up to grab the dishes.

Chloe had apparently been acquainted with Kate throughout this whole ordeal and got her to gather some clothes and essentials from Max’s room while she was in the hospital. She was beyond thankful, because she didn’t know how she was going to handle going back to the dorms, much less face anyone.

Once she got in the bathroom she began to strip down and examined herself in the mirror. Victoria was right, she looked like shit. The exhaustion and malnutrition made her look like a walking corpse. She didn’t bother taking the bandages off her chest or back, they were freshly applied before she left the hospital and she would change them out in the morning. She would just have to take a bath instead of a shower for a while until they were better healed. She turned on the water as hot as she could stand and finally slipped in, letting the heat and steam calm her anxiety as she began to sort out her thoughts.

She grew up in this house, and even during that nonexistent week, she felt right at home the moment she walked in. Now she felt oddly out of place, not unwelcome, just estranged. When she thought of her home in Seattle and the dorms, she had the same feeling. Almost as if she was floating along on borrowed hospitality, but having no real sense of belonging. She didn’t like that feeling and although she and Chloe had made amends, her sense of displacement still bothered her. She imagined it was because she was still stuck in the past, unable to escape those horrible memories and experiences. Even her good memories of the week were overshadowed by the fact she was the only one who remembered them, they didn’t matter anymore, she didn’t matter anymore. She closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath.

 _Stop. You promised you wouldn’t do this. She wants you here, she fought for you to stay. She chose you. She chose you._

She began repeating the thought like a mantra in an attempt to reassure her heavy mind and aching heart. It was going to be painful, but she had to try, she had to wait. Chloe wanted her here, and that was enough for now.

//

Chloe laid awake, arms sprawled out, staring at the ceiling, wishing sleep would take her. Her mind was turning over the events of the past two days relentlessly, and all she could think about was the girl down stairs, and how far away she was. It wasn’t that she was particularly hurt that Max didn’t want to stay in her room with her. No, what bothered her was how she couldn’t keep an eye on her. It wasn’t only the physical distance that worried her, but also the emotional distance. She was shutting everyone out, but that was to be expected, it’s barely been a day, but worrisome all the same.

The problem was, Chloe didn’t know how to approach Max anymore. Sure, she could read her like a book still, but she hadn’t seen her in over five years for and there was an awkward tension that lingered in the air between them. She figured it was the same for Max, since she had a week to get to know Chloe again and now she was forced to start from scratch in less than desirable conditions. Getting her to open up was going to be hard, considering Chloe didn’t have much to go by other than journal entries of a week’s worth of experiences she would never remember.

 _Fuckkkkkkkkk I’m not good at these things. I can’t even deal with my own feelings, how the fuck am I supposed help someone else with theirs?! Ugh Maaaaax help me help you damn it!_

She rolled over and grunted in her pillow loudly in frustration, when she was suddenly startled out of her internal bitch-fest by a loud noise coming from some part of the house. It was a single loud scream that made Chloe’s heart stop.

_Oh shit, Max!_

She shot straight up and tore through the room almost breaking down the door when it wouldn’t open quick enough. She ran down the stairs, clearing the last five steps by practically vaulting down them and rounded the corner to the living searching frantically for Max, only to realize she was nowhere to be found. Panic set in and she was automatically thrown back to the memory of her on the cliff with that fucking gun hoping this wasn’t a repeat, but she was snapped out of it when she saw the back door left slightly cracked open. She moved over to it and opened it slowly when she heard the faint sound of crying and sniffling coming from the old swing set. She quickly closed the distance separating them and found Max sitting on the swing with her face buried in her hands trying to stifle her sobs.

“Max, what happened? Are you ok?” She asked cautiously moving towards the crying girl.

“I-I’m…I’m fine….j-just….go b-back inside…p-please” she choked out between sobs, still not lifting her head up.

“No, you’re not. Talk to me, you promised you wouldn’t do this by yourself.” She said softly.

When she didn’t answer Chloe gently grabbed her hands and brought them away from her face.

“Max, I know me and you have a lot to work on and I’m sorry I’m not better at this shit, but you have to let me in before we can move forward.” She pleaded.

It was a few minutes before Max finally decided to speak, and when she did it was just barely a whisper.

“These f-fucking nightmares.” She kept her hollow stare trained forward.

“Do you… do you wanna tell me about it?”

She shook her head apologetically “Not right now.”

“That’s ok. Come on, you’re gonna freeze out here, let’s get back inside.” She said as she pulled her up to lead her back in the house.

Once they entered the house Chloe caught a glance at Max’s hands and saw her wrists were rubbed raw and bleeding in some places.

“Jesus Max what happened to your hands?” She blurted out, pulling them up to inspect closer.

Max shrunk at the question like a child caught doing something bad, looking almost embarrassed, making Chloe mentally kick herself for her impulsive word vomit.

“No I didn’t mean-“ she sighed in frustration “come on, let’s just get you patched up.”

She led her to the kitchen and turned on the water, letting it warm up as she rumaged through the cabinets for the first aid kit. When she found what she was looking for, she grabbed a wash cloth and ran it under the warm water and sat Max down at the table and began cleaning up her hands. Neither one of them spoke as she worked, both lost in their own thoughts. It was almost concerning how cold Max’s hands were, and she couldn’t tell if she was shivering or trembling as she held them in hers. They felt so small and delicate, but also soft and reassuring at the same time, kinda like how she always thought Max was as a person.

Max suddenly cleared her throat pulling her out of her thoughts and she realized she was just holding her hands staring at them like a weirdo. She quickly pulled away hoping Max didn’t see the blush creeping up on her face.

“Alright Maximus, that should do it.” She said as she stood to put the supplies back up.

“Thanks Chloe.” She said quietly, heading back towards the couch “and I’m sorry for waking you up.” 

Chloe grabbed her by the arm and and gently pulled her towards the stairs.

“Come on, you’re sleeping with me, I’m not leaving you down here alone on that shitty couch.”

“I really don’t think that’s a good idea Chlo. I don’t want to keep you up all night dealing with this.” She pulled back slightly, slowing her down.

She turned to face her and smiled teasingly. “Yeah that’s really worked great so far huh?” She chuckled “and besides, I literally do nothing but smoke weed and lay around all day, I can sleep whenever I want dude.”

She didn’t wait for a reply and continued pulling Max towards the stairs. She must have given up on arguing because she stopped resisting and followed her upstairs into the bedroom. Once inside Chloe flopped down and patted the other side of the bed grinning like a child. Max just shook her head and sighed and crawled under the covers. Chloe rolled over onto her side facing Max and took her hand into hers.

“I might not be able to help much, but when you’re ready to talk about it I’ll listen, ok?”

“Chloe, you’ve literally helped me by just being here. And you’re right, I can’t do this by myself, and it might take a while, but I’ll tell you when I’m ready. I just need you to keep pushing me when I start closing off ok?”

“I will, as long as you make sure to call me out on my shit when I fuck up, I have a lot to work on too.”

Max smiled and nodded silently, her eyes getting heavier by the second. Chloe watched her start to drift off and softly whispered before she fell asleep.

“Hey Max?”

“Mmhmm?” She hummed.

“I know things are different now, but you’ll still always be my partner in time.”

Max opened her eyes in surprise as tears started forming. She stared at her with an expression that made it seem like she had been waiting on those words all her life. She let out a small sniffle and snuggled up close, resting her head under Chloes chin.

Chloe wrapped her arm around her, pulling her close and waited until her breathing told her she was finally asleep before closing her eyes. Max still had nightmares that night, but at least she didn’t wake up from them alone. And things may be different now, like Chloe said, but maybe it would end up being better that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter another day! I hope you all enjoyed it, and thanks for those of you who have stuck around! 
> 
> I decided to power through this chapter at work tonight trying to keep myself sane. Like seriously, had a guy call up panicking because he mistook his breathing treatment for a can of Raid Bug spray.... HOW DO YOU MIX THOSE UP?! 
> 
> Anyways, until next time!


	9. Stroking Out

The next morning Chloe woke up feeling completely exhausted. Max wasn’t lying when she said she ‘didn’t sleep well’. The upside of the night was that since Chloe was present, Max’s nightmares never got too intense before she could wake her and whisper reassurances to calm her down. The downside, however, was this went on repeatedly throughout the night. She wasn’t really surprised, she had a vague understanding of the severity of her night terrors, and more or less expected this outcome, and at least she kept her from unintentionally hurting herself again. It might not have been under the best circumstances, but she felt a little more at ease after their talk the night before. Chloe wasn’t expecting Max to react so strongly when she decided to quote her past self from the journal but she’s glad she did. That small connection to the past seemed to establish a beginning of communication between the two.

There were still a lot of questions she had from Max’s journal and even more questions about her time powers, but she didn’t know how to approach either subject. Max told her she would talk when she was ready, but knowing her, that could be a really long fucking time, and patience was never Chloe’s virtue.

_I wonder if she’s pissed that I read her journal. That shit was always super fucking personal to her, even as a kid, now throw adolescence and time travel in the mix and it’s probably wayyy more fucking personal. Not to mention there was obviously ‘something’ going on between us. She hasn’t really acted like it though, I wonder why she hasn’t? Wait, why do I wonder that?_

She forced the thought from her mind when she felt her face heat up and went back to analyzing Max who was now quietly sitting at her desk on her laptop. The school administration was updated on Max’s infection and PTSD issues and were more than happy to give her some extended time away from classes that had only just started back up yesterday. They were already under enough heat from the Prescott and Jefferson situation that it would be institutional suicide to deny a victim time to get help. Despite her time off Max was still determined to keep up with her classes, and since she didn’t have a specialty course anymore, she could do everything online for the time being.

“Soooooo, Maximus, you know you can take a day or two off before jumping back into that shit right?” Chloe said, trying to make conversation.

“Yeah, I just don’t want to fall behind, some of us can’t be as smart as you Chlo.” She said with a small smile. “It might help distract me from things too.”

“Pfffff, you do know I got expelled right?”

“Not because of your grades, dork. You’ve always been one of the smartest people I know, still are.” She said matter of factly.

The comment took her by surprise and she felt a blush slowly creep up her face. She wasn’t used to people praising her, especially not for being smart. So of course Chloe had to blurt the first thing that came to her mind.

“How would you know?” She mumbled embarrassed.

Her response must have come off more bitter than Chloe had intended, because Max seemed to shrink into herself as she looked away from her.

“I-I mean-“ she stuttered uncertainly.

Realizing her fuck up she quickly went to correct herself. “Shit, no I didn’t mean-“ she sighed “look, I’m still getting my head around the fact that you already had a week to get to know me. This is still new to me I guess.”

This seemed to relax Max a bit as she finally looked back up apologetically.

“No, I get it Chloe. I’m sorry, I just forget from your perspective I’m still just the loser who ditched you for five years. Some times I still forget where I am, or _when_ I am, I guess.”

“Hey, stop being so hard on yourself, you’ve more than made up for it, ok dude? I guess what I’m saying is just be patient with me.” She looked away and rubbed the back of her neck “and, I’m glad you think I’m still smart, I’m not used to people saying that.”

“Well, what I meant was, even before I left you were always way smarter than me. Whenever you were faced with a problem I used to love watching you figure it out. It was like your personal goal to kick its ass and you wouldn’t leave it alone until you did.” She chuckled.

“Why did you enjoy that?” She asked genuinely curious.

“I don’t know, I guess I found your determination kinda inspiring. You always wanted to learn because you were genuinely interested in the answer, not because someone else told you you had to know it.” She finished with a shrug.

Chloe thought about that for a moment, she couldn’t remember the last time she gave a shit enough to learn anything.

“Well lotta good it did me, I haven’t been good at shit like that since before dad died. Hence the decor and weed.” She gestured to her room and rolled her eyes.

Max turned abruptly to face her “I wasn’t talking just about school Chloe, but I have no doubt you’d be great at it if you got back into it though, if that’s what you wanted.”

“If you weren’t talking about school, then please enlighten me on when the last time I was determined to do shit” she replied sarcastically.

Max looked down and replied quietly “Rachel..”

There was a sinking feeling in the pit of Chloe’s stomach at the mention of Rachel. She’d been avoiding her feelings about her since she read about what she and Max had discovered in the other timeline. She had worked nonstop trying to find Rachel for six months, but in the end realized she didn’t know fuck all, so she didn’t know what kind of point Max was trying to make. When she didn’t answer Max continued.

“You might not remember it, but I do. Watching you piece everything together, and how you never gave up. Researching leads all night on your computer, going through David’s surveillance, and Well’s files. Just because you don’t remember it doesn’t mean you didn’t have the ability to do it. If I hadn’t reset the timeline, you would have found her Chloe. So yeah, you’re still fucking smart. Even if you don’t think so, I do.” She finished and turned back towards the desk.

Chloe knew from reading the journal that she and Max had found Rachel, but she felt detached from the situation since she had no memory of it. Hearing Max say it now actually made her believe it. All that time spent searching really did mean something. It was a morbid satisfaction, but she felt more closure hearing those words than she did even at Rachel’s funeral.

“Thanks… for telling me all that.” She finally spoke trying to hold back the tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

“I only said it because it’s true” Max looked back at her smiling softly “now if you could work on actually thinking about problems instead of bulldozing through them, you might realize it”

Chloe chuckled at that “I’m not promising anything, but we’ll see”

They fell into a comfortable silence after that, leaving Chloe with her thoughts and Max to her school work. It felt nice having someone genuinely praise her for once without following it up with a patronizing remark. She knew she was a fuck up, there was no denying that, but she appreciated being reminded of her potential instead of her failures. It was a simple concept, but only Max had managed to give it the weight it needed to linger in her mind. Maybe that’s what she needed to move forward. She spent all those days driving around trying to figure out where she should go now that she could, but maybe she needed to figure out what she wanted to do before she considered a location. But where would she even start? She’s been rebelling against the world for so long, how was she supposed to find where she fit in it? What was she even good at?

The questions didn’t lead to any obvious answers and she should have found that disheartening, but it was actually reassuring. For the first time since she was a kid, she was questioning what she wanted and looking for something more, and not for someone else but herself. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. She wanted to do better for herself and Max as well.

That being said, the rest of the day was ultimately uneventful. Both girls seemed content trying to maintain a small level of normalcy after the events of the weekend. Chloe still had questions and Max still had doubts, but there would be plenty of time to sort through the heavy stuff later. Today they were just two teenage girls taking a breather and enjoying the relative silence that ensued through mutual understanding, until the day finally ended with both girls snuggled up, waiting to battle the inevitable onslaught of nightmares to come.

//

The start of Wednesday found Chloe feeling unusually motivated despite another restless night. She had gotten up before Max and even before Joyce had gotten home, and was downstairs pulling some food out of the fridge to make breakfast. The conversation she had with Max the previous evening had struck some deeply buried cord within her that pushed her to get up and just…. Do something. How exactly that translated to waking up at the asscrack of dawn attempting to cook breakfast was beyond her comprehension. Guess ya gotta start somewhere.

While the pans were heating up she spotted an apron hanging on a near by rack and chucked to herself as she went to put it on.

_Domesticated as fuck, bitches._

She contemplated everything swirling around in her mind while she worked on the food in front of her and found the combination of thoughts and tasks oddly calming. She found it particularly funny that Max had been in her life all of two days and already had her doing and thinking about things she would have laughed at only a week ago. What that all it really took? Just one person to actually give a shit to make her want to do better?

That reasoning wasn’t baseless, Rachel practically had Chloe begging to be expelled just by giving her the time of day. Who did that speak worse for? Rachel for not pushing her to do better things, or Chloe for being so desperate for someone to care regardless of what she had to do to make it happen? That thought made her stumble a minute, remembering Rachel threw her into a vortex of emotions she still hadn’t sorted out yet. At one point she would have trusted Rachel to lead her anywhere, but after everything she discovered she wasn’t sure how to feel anymore. ‘Used’ was the word that lingered now. As she was pondering that bitter notion, the smell and crackle of burnt bacon brought her back to her current struggle.

_Shit shit shit shittttt that’s bacon blasphemy! Well… step dick can have that piece._

No, Chloe was up at shit o’ clock in the morning playing punk housewife because of Max. It was like that even when they were kids. Max’s dad told her at the hospital that it was Chloe who brought out Max’s confidence, but it was always Max who brought out Chloe’s determination. All these years later and she still had that effect, maybe there are some things even time can’t change. The thought brought a small smile to her face as she finished up her mostly edible breakfast ensemble, when the front door suddenly opened and Joyce walked in the kitchen with a very confused look on her face. When it didn’t look like she was going to move or speak anytime soon Chloe hesitantly spoke up.

“Uh, sup mom?”

“…..” silence.

“Mom are you having a stroke?” She waved her hand in front of her mother’s face slowly.

“What the hell happened now?” Joyce said, suspicion lacing her words as she walked hesitantly in the kitchen.

Chloe groaned and rolled her eyes “Jesus, Joyce nothing happened. I just woke up early and decided to occupy myself waiting for Max to wake up. Is that a problem?”

“Uh huhh” she eyed her doubtfully “No that’s not a problem, just… not what I was expecting to come home to s’all.”

“Well whatever, you don’t have to eat it!” She said flustered as she turned back around to the fridge.

Joyce grabbed her plate still eyeing Chloe out of the corner of her vision curiously when the front door opened again.

“Mmm breakfast smells good Joyc-” David stopped mid sentence as he spotted a flustered punk in an apron and a wary looking Joyce making her plate. In similar fashion to his wife, he just stood there with his mouth halfway open looking severely confused.

“Is everyone going to have a fucking stroke this morning!” Chloe threw her hands up and rolled her eyes.

Joyce eyed her husband behind Chloe’s back and tilted her head towards the food. Catching her signal, he hesitantly made his way over to the dishes to fix a plate while Joyce went to the table.

Chloe narrowed her eyes at him when he went for the bacon and grumbled. “I made the burnt ones for you step ass, I know they remind you of hell, where you came from.”

His face contorted and he looked like he was going to retort something back when Max could be heard making her way down the stairs. She walked into the kitchen doorway with her hair a mess still rubbing her eyes.

“Man, I’ll never get tired of waking up to Joyce’s cook-” she choked mid sentence and froze like the unsuspecting souls who came before her and rubbed her eyes again.

“Oh for fucks sake Max, not you too!” Chloe threw the spatula in the sink as her face turned an even darker shade of red.

What took all of them by surprise was Max’s response, which consisted of her promptly losing her shit in the door way.

“Pfffff, Chl-Chloe wh-what the hell are you we-wearing?! Hahahaha!” She snorted in between words as tears began rolling down her cheeks. “A punk’s- HA a punk’s pl-place is in the k-kitchen! Oh my dog I can’t!!” 

Aaaaand now she’s on the floor.

Now it was Chloe’s turn to stroke out. Max was in a fit of unexpected hysterics and Chloe just looked at her stunned until she finally glanced down at herself and started cussing.

_THE FUCKING APRON!!_

She swiftly ripped the offending clothing off, scowling at the phrase emblazoned on the front, as she heard a fork drop from the dinning room table and found Joyce covering her mouth chuckling watching the scene unfold. David just sat there like a lost dog, still having no idea what to do.

Before Chloe could figure out whether to run away or cuss out the world, Joyce finally spoke up.

“Come on Max, the ‘KITCHEN QUEEN’ made us all breakfast. Better get some before she throws it out the window.”

This only made Max laugh harder.

Chloe, finally having enough, started grumbling obscenities and stomped her way to the kitchen door before Max grabbed her by the arm and stopped her.

“No, don’t go! I’m sorry, that was just too funny, oh god I needed that.” She said finally calming down, wiping away the tears.

Chloe turned around and glared at her with a sharp remark on the tip of her tongue, but stopped herself when she faced Max. Her face was flushed and filled with more joy than she had seen since she came back. It sent a warmth through her chest that made her irritation vanish instantly and reminded her of the dorky best friend from her childhood. She didn’t realize until now just how much she missed that face until it was staring back at her. She softened her expression and let out a huff of defeat and silently went back into the kitchen with Max on her heels.

Once their plates were made they both sat down at the table, completing the odd gathering of personalities consisting of a punk, a time traveling hipster, a southern waitress and an asshole security guard, about to have breakfast like it was the most normal thing in the world. Everyone fell into a strange but comfortable silence, no one willing to be the one to shatter the fragile peace that had settled over the morning, until David cautiously leaned over to his wife and gruffly whispered.

“Is this safe to eat?”

//

Max had just finished up washing the dishes, despite Joyce’s protests and scurried back up to Chloe’s room to get ready for the day while Chloe lingered below. Joyce was pulling out the fresh dressings from the medicine cabinet when she let out a lengthy yawn and quickly tried to shake it off when Chloe stepped in.

“I’ll take care of it Joyce, I’m about to head up and get dressed anyways.” She walked over and began gathering up the bandages.

Joyce looked at her with another one of those confused expressions that have been gracing her face all morning, then finally put her hand on her hip as she turned to fully face her daughter.

“So what’s this about Chloe? Not sayin I don’t appreciate any of it, but this aint exactly the daughter I come home to everyday.”

“Heaven fucking forbid I try and help out every now and then.” She replied defensively.

“That’s not what I mean and you know it. Now stop being hardheaded and tell me the truth.”

“I just- I’m fucking trying ok?!” She throws her hands up trying to keep her emotions in check, “Is it that big of a deal that I’m trying to be a decent person for once in my life?! Is it not enough that I almost got my best friend killed or that I was such a dick that Rachel had to die because she couldn’t trust me?! Can you just- can you please just let me do this without making me feel like a bigger piece of shit than I already am?”

Both women stood in silence taking in the words still lingering in the air. Chloe hadn’t meant to blow up and dump all that on her mother, but she couldn’t stop once it had started. Her emotional flood gates were under a dangerous amount of pressure and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep them held back. But she knew if she didn’t she would just explode and hurt the nearest innocent bystander within a hundred foot radius like she always did.

After what felt like hours, Joyce finally placed her hand on her daughter’s arm and spoke.

“Is that what you think, Chloe? That what happened to Max and Rachel is somehow your fault?”

Chloe didn’t respond, she just clinched her teeth and looked down, she didn’t trust herself enough to say anything without breaking down or blowing up. Luckily Joyce seemed to understand and continued.

“We all make decisions in life, hon. You know I don’t always agree with yours, but they’re yours all the same, just like Max and Rachel’s are theirs. You can’t blame yourself for what other people choose, all you can do is grieve for what’s lost and do your best to accept what’s not. You understand?”

Chloe only nodded, fighting back the tears forming, it didn’t make what she was feeling hurt any less, but it made sense whether she wanted to admit it or not. The fact that her mom was actually speaking to her again was more comforting than anything. Not having that for so long made her appreciate it so much more, and she was beginning to understand how lucky she was to have her as a mother.

Joyce seemed to understand no more words needed to be said and picked up the medical supplies and placed them in Chloe’s hands and with a loving pat on the shoulder she made her way up the stairs to turn in for the day. Chloe took a deep breath to compose herself and followed suit up to her room.

She walked in to find Max sitting on the desk looking out the window with her knees to her chest, staring out at the world beyond the glass. Chloe examined her features closely trying to discern the expression she was wearing. It wasn’t one she remembered being familiar with as children, but it’s intensity stopped Chloe dead in her tracks none the less. It was a look of deep concentrated though mixed with something between determination and resolve. The vibe she was emitting around her was so foreign to anything Chloe would ever describe as Maxine Caulfield that she could have sworn she was looking at a different person for a split second. For the first time in her life she looked confident, but the type of confidence that comes from struggle and experience, and it was breathtakingly beautiful. If there was ever a time when Chloe wished she knew shit about taking pictures, it was now.

But just as soon as the thought came to her the trance was broken when Max finally noticed Chloe staring and for a brief moment their eyes locked, neither one willing to look away. After an indiscernible amount of time Max broke the gaze with what Chloe could swear was a blush forming across her face. She didn’t have much time to ponder it when she felt a heat of her own crawling up her neck and an unsettling twist in her chest.

_What the hell was that just now? I don’t think I’ve ever seen Max that serious about anything. Good job staring at her like a creep Price…_

“Uh, h-hey” she mentally kicked herself for stuttering and cleared her throat “so Joyce was pretty wiped so I told her I’d patch you up this morning, that cool?”

Max finally turned back around to face her but with an another expression Chloe was a bit confused by. It almost looked sad.

_Maybe I didn’t think this through. I didn’t really consider she might not even want me doing this for her, fuck. Why would she, it’s my dumbass fault it happened in the first place._

When she was about to suggest waking up Joyce, Max suddenly moved off the desk before Chloe could speak and just nodded as she went to sit down on the edge of the bed. Unsure of herself at this point, Chloe hesitated from moving any further.

“Are you sure? I can go get my mom if you’re uncomfortable or something.”

“No it’s fine, I don’t mind if you do it, I’m just sorry you have to is all.” She said quietly.

Feeling a little more confident at her reply, Chloe made her way to the bed “What, and miss my chance to say I got Max Caulfield topless in my bed? That’s nothing to be sorry about.” She smirked trying to lighten the mood, and judging by the color of Max’s face, she succeeded.

“You’re such an ass!” She said as she shoved her playfully.

“Oh shut it hippie I won’t look, now hurry up I ain’t got all day.”

“Sorry for taking up time in your busy schedule Chlo.” She rolled her eyes “wouldn’t want you to miss out on your cooking programs.”

“Low blow Caulfield, low fucking blow.” She narrowed her eyes.

Max chuckled and turned her body as she began lifting up her shirt to expose her back. For some odd reason this prompted Chloe to immediately turn her head, almost instinctively. She was only joking with the statement she made earlier. It was Max for fucks sake, they had changed in front of each other a million times, but Chloe’s reaction surprised her all the same.

_Stop being weird, Jesus, it’s just Max._

Shaking the thought from her mind she turned to her friend and looked at her exposed back. She had never actually seen what the injury had done to her, with it being covered by her shirt and all, and now that she was seeing the size of the bandage covering the exit wound she started feeling a lump in her throat forming. How did a little bullet create something this large? Didn’t they say it passed right through? She slowly reached for the corner of the bandage and peeled it off tentatively. Once it was gently removed she froze at the sight of the damage. It was fucking horrible. The large diameter of burnt and scabbing skin, still red and irritated from the infection, made her stomach churn. This wasn’t what she was expecting, and she was never more thankful that she didn’t blurt out some stupid fucking comment like she usually did. It didn’t matter though, Max seemed to pick up on her hesitation and shifted uncomfortably under her silent gaze.

“A-are you ok Chloe?” She asked nervously while glancing down to her side.

“Y-yeah! Yeah I’m cool. Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting it to be so…. big I guess.”

“They told me it was a hollow point bullet.” She said flatly “They said I was lucky that the bullet didn’t expand until it exited, and if I had been any closer that could have been my insides.” She finished with a sad chuckle that made Chloe’s heart ache.

“I’m…. Im sorry Max. That’s so fucked up.”

Max didn’t reply, only let out a shaky breath. It made Chloe sick, seeing someone as small and gentle as Max marred by something so completely opposite of her, something so brutal and destructive and painful. It made her sick knowing she had the same fucking thing that caused this still hidden under her bed. And it made her sick knowing she could have used it and done something like this to another person without even considering what it really meant. As soon as she had the chance, she decided she was getting rid of that fucking thing. She didn’t want something like that anywhere near Max ever again.

After she steeled her herself enough to keep her hands from shaking she took a breath and began cleaning up wound. Max only sat there, flinching every now and then from the sensitivity and burnt nerves. Chloe was almost done covering it up when Max finally spoke in a half whisper.

“Joyce was right you know.”

Chloe’s hands stopped moving and her heart sped up.

_Of course she fucking heard you dumbass, you practically yelled it._

“This isn’t your fault Chloe, neither was Rachel. I can’t speak for her, but I knew what I was doing. I’m not gonna guilt trip you, you don’t owe me anything.”

“Fuck Max I owe you everything. God I’ll regret saying that shit at the hospital for the rest of my life, I know you would never guilt trip me, but I’m not doing this because of that. Yeah I’ll always feel responsible, that’s not going to change, but I’m here because I want to be, because you deserve fucking better than the shit friend I’ve been.”

Max was silent again, looking like she was turning over the words in her head, and while Chloe was waiting she suddenly became hyper aware of the feeling of Max’s skin under her fingertips. She was so warm and soft. There was a fragility to her that made Chloe want to scoop her up and never let go. She felt something odd stirring in her chest at the thought and quickly went to finish her task. Once she was finished Max pulled down her shirt and turned to face her. She had a glint of that same confident determination that Chloe saw when she was looking out the window earlier when she finally spoke.

“I want you to take me somewhere.”

The intensity of her gaze caught Chloe off guard. “O-ok, where to?”

“Let’s get to the truck and I’ll tell you where to go.” She didn’t wait for a reply and got up to head to the door.

Chloe quickly changed clothes and followed downstairs, curiousity leading her movements until she jumped in the the truck where Max was waiting. They drove for a while until Max led them to the beachfront where they got out and sat down on a nearby bench. When it didn’t seem like she was going to speak Chloe let her curiosity get the better of her and broke the silence.

“Soooo why did we come here exactly?”

Max let out a sigh and turned to face her.

“I think we need to talk.”


	10. Smartass

They sat on a bench overlooking the gentle roll of the waves in the late morning light, glancing at the lighthouse in the distance occasionally. Max couldn’t shake the feeling of unease after overhearing Chloe and Joyce’s conversation earlier that morning. She needed to set things straight with Chloe, to let her know without a doubt she wasn’t responsible for everything. It didn’t take a genius to see she was bottling up her emotions. She was always way too passionate to hide things for long and Max assumed she was doing it for her sake, walking on eggshells, afraid Max would break in the wake of her inner turmoil.

Max was just as guilty. She was worried she’d scare Chloe off with just how broken she had become if she started talking about things. It had to stop though. They weren’t going to get anywhere by hiding themselves from each other so they needed to talk, and where better to start than from them beginning.

“Ok, so what did you want to talk about? And why here?” Choke gestured around the beach with her hands.

“Well it’s not like we have any of our usual spots to go to at the moment, at least not yet anyways, and I didn’t really want to do this with Joyce and David sleeping nearby.”

“Alright, but what do you mean by _this_ exactly? Did I fuck something up again?”

“What? No Chloe its nothing like that.” She shook her head “I just… I want to start by saying I’m sorry.”

Chloe looked at her confused, not understanding what she was going on about.

“I’m sorry for not reaching out to you when I left, for abandoning you-”

Chloe quickly cut her off “Max, I told you, you already made up for all of that, I know we already talked abou-”

“No, let me finish.” She cut in before Chloe could continue “I know you understand what’s been going on with me and that I can control time. And yes I’ve already had this conversation, but not with _you._ You deserve to hear it for the first time. So I’m sorry. I’m sorry I left and wasn’t there for you when you needed me the most. I was young and hurt by William’s death too, and when we moved it flipped my world upside down. I was scared and thought if I tried to move on I would forget and it wouldn’t hurt so much. I dove into photography to keep my mind busy and only kept a few friends around. I know it was wrong and a fucked up way of dealing with things, but I was too scared to do anything else. I’ve always been a coward, but I never forgot about you. I felt guilty everyday for what I did, but by that point it was too late, I thought I had lost you, and you have every right to be pissed at me. I don’t have an excuse for what I did, and I’m so sorry Chloe.”

Chloe looked up at her with tears in her eyes and hugged her tightly much to Max’s surprise. She hesitated a moment and wrapped her arms around Chloe returning the embrace, waiting for her to speak.

“I missed you so fucking much Max.” She sniffled “Fuck I was so pissed at you for the longest time. I thought you just didn’t care anymore. I didn’t mean to blow up at the hospital like I did, I didn’t mean any of it. Hearing about Rachel just hit me so fucking hard and you were the closest person to take it out on even though you were trying to apologize. So I’m sorry for that too.”

Max pulled away and placed her hand on Chloe’s cheek “I know we already talked about this earlier, but I don’t want you blaming yourself for what happened. None of this is your fault, ok?”

“I know, I just feel so shitty about it all.” She turned her head and looked out over the ocean “you shouldn’t have had to fix so many of my fuck ups during that week, and Rachel should have been able to trust me, instead I just pushed her away.”

“How are you dealing with that? Rachel I mean?” She asked cautiously.

“I honestly don’t know. I thought I knew her, but learning about everything she was hiding from me just pisses me off to think about. Makes me wonder if she wasn’t just using me this whole time.” She finished bitterly.

Max didn’t know a lot about Rachel personally, only what she’d heard and discovered through their search for her, but she knew Chloe cared for her deeply. It made her self conscious and even jealous to a certain extent. Rachel was everything Max would never be, smart, beautiful, charismatic and confident. She filled the void Max created when she left Chloe and in a way she was grateful she was there for her when no one else was. She didn’t think Rachel had intended to hurt her, she just got too caught up in her own poor choices.

“I don’t think she was using you, Chloe. I really think she was just scared of how you would react.”

“Yeah, and it fucking pushed her away to the point she had to lie to me.” Chloe’s voice started shaking angrily “Am I that much of an asshole?”

“I’m not gonna lie, you do have a hell of a temper” Max replied as she placed her hand over Chloe’s “but I think she was more scared of you being right more than anything. She was in a bad place and between the drugs, partying, and shady hook ups, she probably knew you’d see through it all. She made a lot of bad choices, but she’s the one who chose to make them and lied to you about it. That’s not your fault.”

Chloe wiped the tears from her face, silently contemplating what she had said. Max didn’t know the full extent of their relationship, but she knew it was going to take a long while before Chloe could be at peace about her. Getting her to open up about her grief would be the first step to dealing with her feelings. Finally she looked up to face Max and sighed.

“Maybe you’re right, and it probably wouldn’t have mattered even if she did tell me. Rachel always did what she wanted regardless of what anyone said.” She chuckled suddenly “and if you think my temper is bad you should have seen her’s. She set a whole fucking forest on fire cause she was pissed off once.”

“Jesus Chloe” Max shook her head disapprovingly “I don’t think I even want to know.”

They fell into a comfortable silence, just enjoying the calm of the beach and the salty air. Chloe seemed a little lighter after their talk and Max was glad she decided to go through with it after all, it was a step towards healing. It wasn’t long until Max realized she was still holding Chloe’s hand and she suddenly became very aware of her rising heart rate. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to keep her emotions at bay being around Chloe again. She thought she was gonna die when she had to lift her shirt up earlier for her to clean her injury. Not that Max thought she was anything to look at to begin with, but being in the shitty condition she was now made her overwhelmingly self conscious.

Part of her felt guilty for her feelings towards Chloe. Max was a sad little ball of depression and she was crushing on her best friend who just lost the girl she loved who she considered an angel. Max finally got her friend back and yet she still wanted more, it was selfish and she was embarrassed at herself for thinking she actually had a chance. No, this was enough, she could live with that. The last thing she wanted was a pity date from Chloe or to make things weird between them. Then a sudden realization made Max stiffen up immediately.

_Oh fuck, how much of my journal did she actually read?!_

Chloe must have felt her tense up in the midst of her internal gay panic because she turned and looked at her with a concerned expression.

“Hey you ok Max? You look hella tense and your hand feels a bit clammy.”

Max pulled her hand away at once and turned away to hide her burning face.

“Y-yup, I’m good. Must be the, uh, nerve damage from my injury the doctors were talking about. Sorry.” She rubbed her palms on her jeans nervously.

“Oh, yeah I remember them saying something about that. That sucks dude.”

“It’s fine, I’ll deal. Um, hey, I’ve been meaning to ask, but how much of my journal did you actually read?” She glanced back at her briefly.

Chloe visably stiffened at the question. “Uhhh, all of it?” She replied guiltily and rubbed the back of her neck.

_Goddamn it…._

“I’m sorry, I know that was a dick thing to do, but once I started reading about time travel and shit it was kinda hard to stop. Plus if I hadn’t read it, I might not have found you before, well, you know…”

“Yeah….” Max’s heart clinched at the memory “it’s ok, I’m not mad or anything. I know it was… a lot to take in, I guess.”

“That’s a fucking understatement Max, I don’t know how you’re still sane after all that, I sure as hell wouldn’t be.” She said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

 _“_ Well I’m kinda not, in case you haven’t noticed.” She scoffed “I was just a shy loser before all this, now I’m just a really fucked up loser who can’t even sleep without being tormented by shit that never even happened.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it Max!” She stood up and yelled angrily “you didn’t ask for any of that shit and you still gave a fuck about people who didn’t even deserve it. You’re not a loser, you’re a damn time boss who doesn’t realize how awesome she is, so stop talking shit about yourself.”

Her outburst briefly shocked Max into silence. It reminded her of the speech Chloe gave her at the pool basically saying the same thing, albeit a little less passionately. The memory brought a smile to her face. No matter what timeline she was in, Chloe always found a way to make her feel better about herself.

“Thanks Chlo, I don’t know if I’ll ever get around to feeling that way, but hearing you say it means a lot to me.”

Chloe crossed her arms and displayed her trademark smirk in triumph. “Damn straight Maxi, I’ll be around to kick your ass out of your self loathing until you finally believe it, so get used to it nerd.”

Max was about to reply when the backfire from a truck passing by behind them suddenly sent her mind crashing into a panic induced torrent of images that filled the space around them. Time stilled and flashes of the past flickered into existence in rapid fire succession.

Chloe getting shot in the bathroom

FLASH

Chloe getting shot by a ricochet in the junkyard

FLASH

Max pulling the trigger on Frank

FLASH

Chloe shooting Frank and Pompidou

FLASH

Jefferson shooting Chloe at Rachel’s grave

FLASH

David shooting Jefferson in the Dark Room

FLASH

Max holding the gun to her head on the cliff

_Stop, make this fucking STOP_

Max buckled over holding her head in her hands trying to force the images out of her mind as she felt the tears run down her cheeks and blood drip down her chin. In the corner of her blurred vision she saw a form take shape until it loomed above her.

**_Long time no see Maxine. You’re looking pathetic as ever. Did you miss me?_ **

Max looked up at her double glaring down at her with a twisted smile and suddenly it became very difficult to breathe.

“W-what, why are you still here?” She tried to scream at her, but it came out as nothing more than a choked sob.

**_You really thought it would be that simple? Ha, come on you’re smarter than that. It’ll never be over Max, you’re a fucked up mistake and I’ll keep reminding you of that until you finally accept it._ ** ****

“Get the fuck away from her! Max, don’t you listen to that crazy bitch!”

Chloe suddenly appeared and stood in between the two, her fists were clinched and shaking at her sides. Whether it was from fear or anger, Max couldn’t tell.

Other Max looked amused and crossed her arms taking a few slow predatory steps forward.

 ** _Ah, look who it is. The little punk savior, here to save the day again. Why don’t you run along, me and Max need to have a little chat._** She waved her hand dismissively.

“I’m not going anywhere, so you can suck it. Now what the fuck do you want?” She hardened her gaze.

The Other’s face twisted into a scowl of irritation. **_Stop pretending you give a fuck and get out of my way. We all know the only reason you’re here is because you’re using Max as a cheap replacement for your little ‘angel’. If Rachel was still alive you’d have already ditched Max’s broken ass and be on your way to California by now._**

The statement hurt to hear and she couldn’t help but wonder if it was true. Why wouldn’t it be? There’s no way Chloe would stick around to deal with this if she had the opportunity to leave, not if Rachel were still here. She wouldn’t even blame her if she did, not if it meant she could be happy. Who could be happy with this?

The doubt began to eat away at her when suddenly she heard two words spoken in a calm and resolute tone that took her by surprise.

“Fuck you.”

Before Max could look up she felt herself wrapped in a warm embrace. The unexpectedness of it pulled her out of her downward spiral until she heard Chloe softly whisper in her ear as she drew her closer in her arms.

“That’s not true Max, you’re not anyone’s replacement. You’ll always be Maxine fucking Caulfield, my best friend, and that’s all I need. I’m not going anywhere. Just trust me ok?”

And she did, she trusted her completely in that moment and grabbed on to her for dear life as her walls began crumbling down in violent sobs. She couldn’t stop the tears even if she wanted to, everything she’d held in since this all started came pouring out in waves of raw emotion as the numbness gradually ebbed away. She didn’t know how long they sat there like that, kneeling on the hard pavement, but she eventually felt the release of time from her grasp as reality continued its natural flow of chaos, and exhaustion quickly took its place. She cried until there was nothing left and Chloe let her, not budging an inch until Max let out only dry sobs and the tears finally stopped.

“Come on Maxi, let’s go home.”

//

Max was in a bit of a zombie state after the episode on the beach. She stared out the window of the truck in a trance like stupor and Chloe had to practically drag her up the stairs when they made it home. She was beginning to get a little worried until Max mumbled a comment about getting blood on Chloe’s shirt like a guilty child. It was so fucking adorable Chloe couldn’t help but laugh a little.

Whatever happened at the beachfront had completely wiped Max’s energy. Chloe got her cleaned up and helped her change out of her bloody clothes and finally into the bed. After she changed her own clothes she climbed under the blanket to join her. She stared at her back and watched her small form rise and fall with each breath as she replayed what the fuck happened on the beach. It was clear she had some kind of PTSD episode thanks to that shitty truck, but she definitely just created a new category in the flashback department. It all happened so quickly, but every image was burned into her mind in vivid detail. She already believed Max 100% about her powers and the events her journal described, but watching herself die numerous times in ways she had only read about was a surreal experience.

How was she able to see all that? She couldn’t remember reading an instance where Max had effected someone else with her powers whether directly or indirectly before. She had a vague theory, but it would need to be tested before she was certain. Then there was the nightmare that was Bitch Max. It was extremely unsettling hearing the shit she was spewing coming from an identical copy of the kind and gentle girl laying next to her. It was even more terrifying thinking Max could actually be capable of being that cruel. That wasn’t Max, but her behavior was familiar to Chloe for another reason, one that resonated on a personal level.

She was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of footsteps in the hallway. She dreaded what she was thinking about doing, but decided this was probably the best opportunity she was going to get. Once she was certain Max had drifted off, she slipped out of the bed quietly and pulled a box from under the bed and walked to the door. She took one last glance at Max and slipped out the door, closing it quietly behind her. After a long drawn out sigh she walked down the stairs and hesitated at the garage door.

_Don’t. Lose. Your. Shit. Ignore his smug fucking mustached face and stick with the plan. Uggghhhh_

She turned the door knob and crossed the threshold to David’s lair, preparing for the worst, when she spotted him standing over his work bench. He didn’t seem to notice her so she cleared her throat obnoxiously loud until he shifted his attention. He furrowed his brows and narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her presence, but otherwise seemed to be more curious than irritated.

“Did you need something Chloe?

She sighed and did her best to keep her distain from seeping out of her tone “Yeah, look I need to talk to you, or give you something back I guess.”

This piqued his interest slightly “Ok, what is it?”

She didn’t answer, only held out the box towards him and averted her gaze. He looked at the box then back up at her before hesitantly taking it. When he opened it his expression went from, inquisitive to angry in almost an instant.

“So you did take it. Chloe, this isn’t a toy, what exactly did you think you were going to do with this?”

“Don’t blame me when you keep a damn arsenal in the house! What the hell are you doing with them?” She gritted her teeth and tried to calm herself enough to remember why she was here. “I’m not- ughhh, I’m not here to fight with you alright. I just wanted to return it, I don’t want anything to do with those things anymore.”

He looked like he was about to spit something back until he paused and let out a sigh instead “Did something happen for you to be returning this? No one got hurt while you were playing around with this did they?”

“Jesus, no. I didn’t even shoot it. It’s just, with everything that happened to Max… She doesn’t need to be around this, and I sure as hell don’t need it.”

He nodded in understanding at the mention of Max and placed the box down. “I appreciate you giving it back to me, but this doesn’t excuse you from tanking it in the first place. I don’t want to upset Joyce by bringing this up to her, but-“

“Now hold on, I told you I wanted to talk. I want to make a deal.” She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.

He looked up with an incredulous expression “A deal? Chloe this isn’t a game, what kind of deal could you possibly be wanting to make?”

“The surveillance cameras.” His demeanor changed almost immediately “I want them gone. You don’t tell Joyce about the gun, I won’t tell her about the cameras. I held up my part by giving the gun back, now I want you to take those creepy ass things down.”

“I put those up for the protection of this home.” He tried to defend.

“Yeah, well I took the gun for protection of myself, but that didn’t make it fucking right, now did it?” She leaned forward with a scowl.

He considered that a moment until he finally slumped his shoulders in defeat. “Dammit Chloe” he sighed “fine, you’re…. I guess you’re right.”

“Oh fuck, can you repeat that, I didn’t record it.” She smirked.

“Don’t be a smartass. I’ll take them down and I won’t bring up the gun to Joyce, just, promise me you won’t take it again. These things are dangerous if you don’t know how to use them properly, you understand?”

She rolled her eyes “Don’t worry, I don’t want anything to do with them anymore, like I said. I’ve seen what they can do.” She looked away regretfully, thinking of Max.

David seemed to pick up on her thoughts and nodded thoughtfully before speaking “How, um, how is she doing?”

Chloe eyed him warily, searching for any trace of a snide expression before deciding to answer him “She’s… not good, but doing better I guess. She doesn’t sleep well.”

“I didn’t either for a while, still don’t some nights.”

“How did you manage it, the PTSD I mean?”

“I didn’t, not at first. Your mother helped a lot without really meaning to, just by listening. Get her to talk about it, she’ll keep reliving it until she gets it out of her head, and if she’s still struggling with something she’s already told you then dig deeper, it means she hasn’t told you everything, and she might not even realize she hasn’t.”

Chloe didn’t really expect her meeting with David to result into something quite so… civilized, but she’s actually thankful it did. She had thought about asking him similar questions, but conversations with Step shit were usually anything but actual conversations as much as the were yelling matches. Deciding her fuck up barrier was probably reaching its limit, she chose to end the conversation while she was a head before things inevitably turned south.

“Thanks uh, D-David. I’ll keep that in mind.” She gave him two awkward finger guns and began backing up to the door when he suddenly spoke up.

“I’m sorry could you repeat that, I didn’t get to record it.” And he actually fucking smirked.

Chloe stared at him with her mouth opened. When she finally got her shit together she narrowed her eyes and mumbled “Smartass.” And turned to walk out the door.

_How in the fuck did that actually work? Heh, Chloe Price, master negotiator. Maximus would be proud._

She smiled to herself and made her way back up to the room. She hadn’t been napping very long but she still felt uncomfortable leaving Max asleep for very long by herself. She walked in to find her in pretty much the same position she had left her, breathing softly still facing the wall. Chloe walked to the bed and quietly crawled back under the covers facing her friend’s back. She was pretty damn tired herself if she was being honest. The past few nights hadn’t bode well for Chloe’s sleeping habits between the hospital and Max’s nightmares, so a nap sounded like the greatest fucking thing in the world.

She listened to Max’s breathing and found it rhythmic and calming. She hadn’t seen her sleep this peaceful since the hospital, and even then it was only because of the sedatives. She suddenly got an overwhelming urge to be so much closer, whether is was for Max’s benefit or her own she couldn’t tell. All in one morning she had seen Max laugh like she was a kid again and breakdown like she was holding on for dear life. She moved over and nuzzled into her hair, wrapped her arm around her waist and pulled her small form flush against her own. Max was warm and soft and smelled like a combination of coffee and lavender that was oddly soothing. It just felt… right. She breathed her in and let out a content sigh as she began to drift off in a peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> David is kind of an interesting character to write for me, mainly because I think I can relate to a lot of his feelings and point of view on things. I don’t condone his actions of abuse in anyway shape or form so please don’t misunderstand me on that, but I was in the military for six years and I can totally understand his difficulties in transitioning to civilian life. I can’t speak for all the other branches, but the Marine Corps was like a completely different world. When I was going through college I remember being around all theses kids that were my same age but seemed so entitled and spoiled and it made me feel really bitter and angry and more than a little detached from the people around me. Needless to say, my dorm mate made me want to choke her more often than not lol. It took a while to adjust so I think that’s why I can sort of sympathize with good ol Dave. He just needs a hug. Annnnnd a lot of therapy lol


	11. Lost Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m backkk!  
> sorry for the delay. This covid 19 shit is really fucking up my life as I’m sure many of you are experiencing as well. I would give anything to be one of the many who get to isolate at home, but of fucking course I have to be “essential” *insert air quotes and eye roll here*   
> Didn’t help someone T boned me and totaled my truck on top of it last week either *sighhhhh* 
> 
> Anyways, this chapter is short but only because it didn’t really fit in the next chapter so I chose it as a little stand alone. I have more to come and I should get it posted relatively soon assuming life leaves me alone for once lol enjoy

She awoke to tossing and turning accompanied by small whimpers. Still in a sleepy fog, she cracked her eyes open slightly and found the day had ended, leaving only darkness and the soft glow from street lamps through the windows. Max was still wrapped up in her arms and while she wasn’t thrashing like previous nights, she didn’t seem to be having a pleasant experience either. Chloe pulled her a little closer, enjoying the warmth and whispered in her ear trying to wake her as gently as she could manage.

“Max. Hey Maximus, wake up it’s just a dream.”

Max’s body relaxed and she let out a sharp breath, finally waking up.

“Another nightmare?” Chloe asked.

“Huh? Oh, no actually, just a normal bad dream for once.” She replied, still groggy.

“That’s good, I guess?”

“Well it’s better than usual so I’d say yes. Man how long have I been asleep? I don’t even remember laying down.”

“Yeah you crashed pretty hard after we got back from the beach. I think that’s the longest you’ve passed out in a while.” Chloe chuckled.

Max only hummed in response and went to turn around when Chloe gripped her tighter.

“Nope, s’warm.” Chloe mumbled in Max’s hair.

Max chuckled and eventually gave up struggling much to Chloe’s satisfaction. They laid like that in silence for a while, both seeming content in each other’s warmth until Max broke the silence with a question.

“Chloe, what did you see at the beach?” She asked in a small voice, almost sounding nervous at the answer she was about to get.

“Everything.” Chloe whispered into her hair.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered back.

Chloe pulled her closer “Don’t be, you haven’t done anything wrong Max. Yeah, it was fucking weird seeing myself die, but I can only imagine what you went through actually living through it. I believed you completely about the time travel already, but seeing that definitely blew away any doubts I had.”

“I don’t know what’s happening to me, and I hate that you’re getting dragged into it too.”

Chloe loosened her grip and motioned for Max to turn around. Once they were face to face she saw the look of worry Max wore.

“I have a theory on that actually.” Chloe stated and Max gave her a questioning look.

“A theory?”

Chloe nodded “I think you’re having PTSD episodes, but it’s being projected through you’re powers.”

“How do you know, and how is that even possible?” Max asked.

“How is time travel possible?” Chloe countered “I don’t think it‘s really that far of a stretch all things considering. This is the second time it’s happened and both times you’ve frozen reality. I’m guessing it’s kinda like you’re photo jump thing. When you do that, you jump through an image which is essentially a captured moment in time. Think of this as the opposite of that. You’re taking a moment in time you’ve experienced and projecting it around you in a frozen time space.”

“Chloe I’ve never had that happen before, and I’ve only ever stopped time once and even then I think it was just a fluke because I pushed my power to the brink of exhaustion.” Max argued.

“That doesn’t mean it’s not possible. Not to mention you’re in a completely different mental state now.”

“Crazy is what you mean.” She said a little defensively.

“No Max, that’s not what I mean.” Chloe said sternly “you’ve been through a lot of shit, that doesn’t make you crazy, but you’re not alright either and that’s ok. No one would be ok after what you’ve been through.”

Max looked at her a moment until her expression finally relaxed and she let out a sigh “I’m sorry, I don’t me to be snappy, I’m just tired of being like this.”

“Like I said before, don’t be sorry, you haven’t done anything wrong. I’d be fucking frustrated too if I had to deal with half of what you’ve had to.” She shook her shoulder reassuringly “Anyway, the reason I’m saying all this is because I think we can use this new power thingy to our advantage.”

“Use it? How exactly?”

“Well, I’ve been thinking.” She began.

“That’s scary.” Max giggled.

Chloe glared “Har har smartass. So as I was saying.” She took a breath trying to figure out how she was going to say this “I think you should try and do it again, like do it on your own.”

Max stared at her with an incredulous look on her face “Why the hell would I want to relive any of that? You saw a sample of how shitty things went during that week.”

“Because you need to get it out of your head Max. I only read an overview of what happened and I know there’s shit that happened to you that you can’t possibly explain and probably don’t want to, but you need to talk about things or it’s only going to stick around. I know I’m not a fuckin psychologist or anything, but I’ve been doing some research about PTSD and I think you sharing these experiences and feelings with someone will help. This is just kind of a direct way of doing that.” She explained.

Max’s gaze softened “You’ve been researching this?”

“Well duh, my best friend is a fucking time traveler who obviously can’t get help for it. Why wouldn’t I research it?” Chloe looked at her like she couldn’t believe she was serious.

“That’s just…. really sweet Chloe.” She replied with a small smile.

“Im not sweet! Just.. practical.” Chloe blushed and looked away “anyway, I’m not saying try and relive all this shit at once. Just maybe little by little until we work things out. The stuff that’s really bothering you, ya know? And I was thinking we could test it by starting off with something good you remember about that week?” She asked hesitantly.

Max was silent as she thought it over a moment. “Some of this stuff is really heavy Chlo, I don’t want you dealing with anymore than you already have to.” She looked at her apprehensively.

Chloe gave her a reassuring smile “I can handle it, and I want to if you’ll let me. I meant what I said about still being your partner in time. You just have to let me in and trust me.”

Finally Max nodded, settling on a decision. “Ok, but how should I go about trying to do this?”

Chloe sat up excitedly and pulled Max up with her until they were both repositioned on the edge of the bed.

“Alright, so think of a memory and focus really hard on it. I don’t know how you activate your time fuckery, but try and remember what it felt like the first time you froze time and try to combine the two into one feeling.”

Max furrowed her brow in concentration, trying to think of a memory to bring to life. She shifted slightly and Chloe noticed her hands tense up as she let out a sigh and closed her eyes. Chloe caught herself holding her breath in anticipation as she watched Max closely in the silence. She didn’t know what she was waiting for exactly, but tried to imagine what she was feeling the last time Max had brought her into time for any indication it was working. It happened so quickly and unexpectedly the last two times that she couldn’t remember the details other than the vivid images and deep silence that seemed to encase her in the frozen void of reality.

With nothing else to go on, she simply found herself focusing on Max. It felt oddly intimate staring at her in complete silence, almost like she was invading her privacy. Her face was scrunched up in deep concentration and her breathing was slow and deep and she looked ridiculously cute with her serious demeanor. She got lost staring at her features when suddenly she caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye. It was brief, but she could make out the distinct color of pale blue and then suddenly it happened again. Chloe took in a sharp breath as the room began to transform around her in dancing hues of blue and white until she realized she was looking at light reflections off what seemed to be a pool.

_“Don't you dare...”_

_“Come stop me hippie!”_

Voices started fading in and out of existence and Chloe sat wide eyed as she watched the image of herself and Max swimming in the Blackwell pool suddenly form in her bedroom. She gripped Max’s hand and looked over to her.

“Max, dude it’s fucking working!” She said in a hushed voice as if speaking too loud would break the spell.

Max opened her eyes hesitantly and stared at the room around her.

“Holy shit…” she said breathlessly.

Both girls watched in awe as Max’s memory played out in front of them in vivid detail, a memory Chloe had only read about and now it was like watching a movie of herself she never remembered being in. As fascinating as the scene was, Chloe couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy of her alternate self. She had shared an awesome moment with Max that had brought them both together and it was something she would never get to experience. The wistful look on Max’s face didn’t do much to quell the feelings stirring in her. A part of her felt like a runner up, and to herself no less. She shook the feeling off as they watched and listened to themselves talk about life, just enjoying the moment until a security guard broke the moment and the memory slowly faded out of existence, leaving both girls speechless.

Chloe composed herself from her doubts and focused on her friend’s accomplishment “Holy fuck Max you actually did it! That was so fucking awesome!” Chloe bounced on the bed as she looked over to Max who was still staring in shock “Max? Dude are you ok?”

“Y-yeah, I just can’t believe it actually worked.” She whispered.

“We need to get your bony ass in a bikini more often hippie.” She nudged her shoulder and winked.

“Oh my god shut up.” Max blushed and looked away making Chloe chuckle.

“We’ll work on that, but seriously, I knew it would work!” She gripped Max’s hand still in her grasp “So this is what we’re going to do, whenever you have a nightmare or something that’s bothering you, I want you to show me so we can work through it together ok? I know it won’t always be good, but I’m cool with that.”

Max turned to face her again and nodded “I wonder why you’re able to see this with me though?”

Chloe shrugged “Dunno, I mean, we have to be connected through all of this somehow since everything seems to revolve around fucking our lives up. I kickstarted your powers to begin with so maybe I’m just included by default?”

“Maybe.” She contemplated “But how does..”

“How does what?” Chloe asked when it didn’t look like she was going to continue.

Max looked away and shook her head “Nothing” She didn’t say anything more and turned around to crawl back in bed.

Chloe wasn’t going to let it go that easily and laid down next to her and propped her elbow up, resting her head in her hand. “Tell me.”

Max was staring up at the ceiling and sighed when Chloe wouldn’t let it go “I just- I don’t understand how that other…. _me_ , plays into all of this. What is she, and what does she want?” She threw her arms out in frustration “what if she’s right?” She finished in a whisper.

“Oh you mean Maximum Bitch?” To Chloe’s satisfaction that got a little chuckle out of Max. “I wouldn’t worry about her. All she is are your insecurities.” She draped her free hand over Max’s arm and began drawing small circles over her her skin.

“How do you know?” She looked up at her.

Chloe smiled sadly “Because mine tell me the same things.”

Max’s expression softened and she placed a hand gently on Chloe’s cheek. “Do you listen to them?”

“Not as much as I used to, but it’s still there. Rachel made it stop for a while until she left. You make me not listen to it too.”

Max didn’t say anything, but continued to caress her face as she gazed up at her with a thoughtful expression. Staring down at Max in silence made her suddenly very aware of how close they were. Everywhere they touched made Chloe feel like her skin was on fire. They’d always been comfortable with being close growing up, but Chloe had never felt more conscious of it until now. This was different somehow.

“W-what, uh, what is it hippie?” She lamely sputtered.

Max gave a gentle grin and shook her head as she drew her hand away and rolled onto her back “Nothing. Thanks Chloe, for everything.”

“I should be saying that to you Max. I owe you a lot, all things considered.” She replied guiltily.

Max turned her head and looked at her sternly “I already told you, you don’t owe me anything. I’d do it all again.”

The confident tone took her by surprise, she wasn’t used to Max being so assertive and she felt at a loss for words which was uncommon for Chloe so she just nodded dumbly. They had enough confessions and revelations for the day, she wasn’t going to push it. Max didn’t look convinced, but softened her gaze none the less while trying to stifle a yawn.

Chloe chuckled at the cute break in her serious demeanor and let out a yawn of her own. They both smiled to each other in mutual understanding and curled up under the blankets to attempt sleep once more. Chloe had one last pending question from Max’s episode today, but now wasn’t the time. She didn’t want to ask it probably as much as Max wouldn’t want to be confronted with it. They had a long way to go but the last few days had been a good start, no sense in pushing to hard now. Both their thoughts faded away to the pull of exhaustion and sleep found them tangled up in each other’s embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like I said, short little chapter. I have a few already written but I have some in between chapters to write before so I’ll probably have another rapid fire posting of multiple chapters at sometime in the near future.
> 
> Stay safe and I hope you introverts are enjoying the now socially acceptable excuse to shut yourselves in your house and social distance :P I wish I could join you


	12. Oh Fuck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delays, been a hectic couple of weeks much to my dissatisfaction. 
> 
> Anyhow, enjoy!

It had been a few days since the discovery of Max’s memory freeze, as they’ve been calling it. Chloe was more than curious as usual but never pushed for more than Max was comfortable with which had been mostly only small snippets of the week.

But, of course, Chloe made good on her promise to push her out of internalizing her problems. She shared most of the nightmares she had aside from a select few she wasn’t ready to confront yet. She really didn’t wanted to, but due to their close proximity at night it was kinda hard to convince her everything was ok. The best part of this new power development was being able to share some of the good memories she had gotten to experience. It gave her some validation that it actually happened, and even though it technically didn’t, it offered some small peace of mind that she could share it. It gave a whole new perspective on ‘venting’.

The discovery of her new ability didn’t come without some drawbacks however. The freak out at the beach threw Chloe into overprotective mode, and as cute and endearing as it sometimes was, it was also starting to suffocate her. Sometimes she looked at her and treated her like she was made of glass or some small object capable of shattering by the slightest gust of wind. Of all the ways Max had fantasized about Chloe looking at her, a child was not one of them. She was an 18 year old time traveling boss with a battle scar for fucks sake. Shouldn’t that say something for her survivability at least? Probably not, all things considering, but still, she had to break the pity cycle otherwise she wasn’t going to get anywhere.

It was fucking frustrating and today was no exception. She felt like a caged bird with a broken wing, unable to fly, but too protected by those around her to actually spread her wings and try. As she finished uploading her last assignment of the day, she shut her lap top and decided she was going to try today. She grabbed her phone and sent off a quick reply to Kate and turned her attention to the bed where her friend rested. Chloe had been unusually preoccupied the past few days with her own laptop, but wouldn’t divulge what she was working on so intently, so Max didn’t push. She’d tell her what was up when she was ready.

“Hey I’m gonna head to the bus stop, Kate just got out of class and we decided to have a tea date to catch up. I won’t be gone long.”

Chloe’s eyes shot up nervously over the laptop “What? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“It was kind of a spur of the moment thing, I got all my assignments done early so figured why not.” She shrugged and tried to sound as nonchalant as possible.

“Max I don’t think that’s really a good idea. I mean, what if you…” she hesitated “Don’t you think you should take it easy for a little longer?”

She sighed “Chloe, I’m fine, really. Plus I made her worry so much after everything that happened, she really deserves an explanation and an apology.”

“You don’t owe anyone shit Max, they don’t know what you’ve been going through.”

“I know she doesn’t, but she went through a lot too and I completely shut her out when she was only trying to help. I know she feels guilty even though she couldn’t have possibly understood what was happening. I just want to let her know how sorry I am, I know how shitty it feels to think you failed someone.”

Chloe furrowed her brows “You didn’t fail anyone Max. And what if something happens? You don’t need-”

“Chloe!” Max cut her off “I can’t keep hiding away from everything.” She took a deep breath “I’m not ok, I get that, but I’m not going to get any better staying cooped up here. I’ve got to start moving forward, even if just a little bit.”

Chloe dropped her shoulders and bit her lip. She had that hesitant look in her eye that Max recognized multiple times throughout the past few days anytime they started to disagree about something. Like she was afraid Max was going to shatter if she said the wrong thing to loudly “Max I’m-, I’m just worried is all. I’m not trying to be a dick.”

_I kind of wish you would just to get things back to normal. Ha, never thought I’d actually wish for you to be an asshole for once. This barrier has go to go though._

Max walked over to the bed and sat down, placing a hand on Chloe’s shoulder. “I know you are, and I’m really grateful for that, but I’m not gonna get any better unless I start getting some normalcy back in my life. Whatever normal is anyways. I’ve never been good at making friends, and I’d at least like to try and keep the few that I have.”

Chloe relaxed at bit at that, but the worry was still written clear across her face. “Ok I get it, but can’t we at least, like, compromise?”

“Compromise?”

“Can I drive you there at least? I won’t get in the way of your little Kate date, but I’d feel better being close by in case something happens ya know?” She rubbed the back of neck nervously.

_Concerned Chloe is so damn cute. Ugh focus._

“Kate date?” She laughed “yeah you can drive me if you want. Once I set some things straight with her you’re more than welcome to join us. I think you and Kate would actually get along surprisingly enough.”

Chloe perked up at that instantly. “Really? I mean, if you’re sure you want me there. It’s cool if you want to hang out with your other friends too. I don’t wanna scare off the church mouse.” The look on her face made Max’s heart ache. Chloe wore her heart on her sleeve ninety percent of the time, but her insecurities were something she always kept buried deep beneath her hard exterior. Chloe would never be second best to anyone in Max’s life, but she had a feeling her abandonment issues were telling her otherwise. Plus it’s not like she’s had a chance to prove otherwise in this timeline.

“Yeah I’m sure. And I think it’ll take a lot more to scare off Kate than some punk ass, I mean she did befriend Victoria after all.” She gave her a reassuring smile.

“You definitely have a point there and you’re still gonna have to show me how the fuck that one happened with your time magic later.”

“Deal. Come on let’s get going so we’re not late.” She said as she stood up and motioned for Chloe to follow. Both girls made their way down stairs and out the door to the truck.

//

Fifteen minutes and some questionable driving methods later the girls arrived at the specialty tea shop Kate fawned over. She’d only been here once prior, but Max enjoyed the experience. She’d never really been one for tea initially, but Kate had gotten her hooked after their first couple of get togethers in the early days of their friendship. Being a coffee lover by nature, she liked to think of it as her guilty pleasure.

_Such a risqué affair you’ve enabled Miss Marsh._

“So does this tea shit actually taste good or do you just like to participate for the tea jokes?”

Max shot her a confused look “Jokes?”

“Uh, yeah dude, like, T baggin? Wow, we need to work on your situational joke awareness if we’re gonna be friends.”

Max snorted “Oh dog, please don’t bring that up to Kate. And you’re right, that was a missed opportunity on my part. And they serve coffee here too so you can calm your inner rioting.”

After ensuring the truck was parked in at least two handicap spots, the girls got out of the truck and walked into the quant little café. Max spotted Kate in the back corner of the shop and felt her nerves starting to flare up. Chloe took notice of her slowed pace and put a reassuring arm around her shoulder.

“Dude stop overthinking, she’s your friend, remember. Now, go over there and get your mush-fest on while I try and find something acceptable to drink in this fucking place.”

Max took a deep breath as Chloe released her “Yeah, you’re right, I’m being ridiculous. Get me a green tea will you?”

Chloe gave an encouraging smile and nodded and started toward the order counter. Max in turn, started walking to the back booth until Kate noticed her presence and her eyes instantly lit up. She quickly wiggled out of the booth and gripped Max in an enthusiastic hug that she immediately returned.

“I’m so glad to see you Max! You look so good!” She beamed.

“Thanks Kate, I’m feeling much better now. It’s so nice to see you again.” As they pulled apart she watched Kate’s eyes trail behind her until they fell on Chloe at the register.

“Oh! I didn’t know Chloe was going to be joining us.” She didn’t sound upset about it, more curious than anything.

“Me neither” she chuckled “she’s kinda been in overprotective mode lately. I told her I’d compromise and she could drive me instead of taking the bus.”

Kate smiled “That’s sounds really sweet of her.”

Max let out a sigh “It is and I’m grateful, I guess I’m starting to feel a little smothered is all. I just don’t want her to have to worry about me all the time and I know a lot of it is guilt.”

“I understand, I just think it’s nice you have someone that cares enough to look out for you though. I wasn’t sure when I first met her, but she seems like she really cares about you.”

Max gave an questioning look “When did you meet Chloe?”

“Oh um, a few days after you left the dorms. She came storming in asking where you were and then her and Vic got into it in the hall way. I was wary of her at first after the hospital incident, but I had a long talk with her and decided to trust her. I’m really glad I did.”

_Damn, momma Kate ain’t no joke to go up against Chloe and Victoria, wish I had a video of that._

“I’m really sorry about everything Kate. I know you were trying to help and I just kept shutting everyone out. You’ve been one of the best friends I’ve ever had and I feel like I took that for granted.” She hung her head.

“You don’t have anything to apologize for Max.” She reached across the table and placed a hand over Max’s “I know what hopelessness feels like, none of that is you’re fault. Before I knew what was really going on with Jefferson and Nathan I felt the same way. I felt so guilty and angry at myself. I only had myself to blame until I learned the truth, and even then I was still disappointed in my poor choices.” She looked away thoughtfully “You don’t have anything to be sorry for Max, you made the right choice and still suffered for it. I’ll always be there to support you, but more than anything I’m just glad you found someone to pull you out of that place.”

By the end of Kate’s speech Max was in tears. All this coming from the someone who had been in a similar place emotionally was more overwhelming than she had anticipated. Her and Kate were two very different people who led very different lifestyles, but they had experienced similar pain and hurt. That bond, regardless of the horrible circumstances that forged it, was something she’d cherish.

Max averted her gaze to the blue haired dork idly blowing the paper wrappers off straws at the barista while waiting on her coffee.

_Someone to pull me out huh. More like drag me out kicking and screaming._

“Yeah, I am too.” She smiled absentmindedly. When she returned her attention back to her friend she found her smirking with a knowing look. If Max didn’t know any better she’d say it was almost mischievous.

“Soooo, tell me about this overprotective ‘frustration’ you’ve been dealing with.”

Oddly enough Max found herself suddenly very nervous under Kate’s amused gaze. Maybe it was they way she said the word ‘frustration’ that caught her off guard or maybe it was the fact it was coming from Kate in general. Either way the undertones of her statement were plain as day.

“It’s um, it’s not anything really. I think I just needed some time out of the house is all. I’m feeling better now actually.” Max internally winced at how completely unconvincing that just sounded.

“Max…” Kate raised an eyebrow accusingly.

_What the fuck Kate, how much time have you been spending with Victoria?_

“Okaaay” she groaned “it’s just, I don’t know, I feel like she sees me as some little kid since all this happened. I mean, I’m not 100% ok, but Im also not so fucked up that I can’t look out for myself ya know?”

“Hmmm, so you don’t want her paying attention to you?”

“No, that’s not- wait, I mean I just-”

_What the fuck do I mean?!? Jesus.._

“I think I get it Max” Kate chuckled “she’s not looking at you in the way you really want her too right?” She had a victorious smirk on her face that Max didn’t quite know how to deal with. Her jaw dropped at the statement and she instantly felt her face heat up.

_How did I get cornered like this!_

“Who the hell are you and what have you done with my sweet Kate?! It’s Victoria isn’t it? She did this to you!”

Kate immediately burst out in laughter while Max’s jaw still hadn’t found its way back up.

When Kate finally caught her breath and settled down she wiped a tear away and continued “Well she has definitely helped with my confidence, she can be surprisingly supportive and encouraging when she’s your friend and not your enemy, it’s strange how things turn out I guess. And I might be naïve about a lot of things, but I’m not stupid Max.”

“I, um-” She didn’t get a chance to formulate a reply as Chloe strode up to the booth with their drinks taking her by surprise. Her dopey grin turned into one of confusion as she looked at the two girls in the booth.

“Uh, am I interrupting something?” She gestured to the table top as Max’s gaze followed until finally settling on her hand that was still being held by Kate from their earlier conversation. She didn’t think it could be possible for her face to feel any hotter than it already was, but now she felt like she was on fire. Kate giggled as they both pulled away at the same time.

“N-no, we just got caught up talking is all.”

_I’m sure the blush is definitely helping your case here Max. *internal face palm*_

Chloe smirked “If you say so, I don’t mind sitting on the other side of y’all wanna cuddle up.” Despite the playfulness in her tone, her smile didn’t quite meet up with her eyes.

Kate immediately snorted “No I think we’re quite alright, Max was right, we just got caught up talking about silly things.”

“Oh, and what silly things might that be pray tell.” Chloe sat down and rested her chin in her hand as she leaned curiously across the table.

Kate leaned forward likewise “Well if you must know-”

“Oookaaay, how bout that tea now!” Max cut her off in a short burst. Kate started giggling again and Chloe still looked confused but amusement seemed to be winning out.

“Awww no need to be embarrassed Maxi, I’m sure whatever it is is something completely awkward and adorable.” She ruffled a flustered Max’s hair playfully.

“She is pretty adorable isn’t she.” Kate chimed in.

Max pouted “I never thought I’d see the day when Chloe Price and Kate Marsh of all people would gang up on me. I feel personally attacked.”

They all laughed at that and settled into playful conversation when everyone finally calmed down. Just as Max expected, Chloe and Kate got along really well despite their obvious personality differences. Whatever Kate said the night Chloe went looking for her must have been enough to earn her respect to some degree. She’d never seen her warm up to someone so quickly.

They talked about class, and all the things she’d missed after moving in with Chloe the past week. They avoided most heavy topics which was fine with Max. This is just what she needed, easy going and normal, no stress. Chloe took the opportunity to interrogate Kate about her friendship with Victoria and Kate returned the curiosity about Max and Chloe’s friendship from their younger days. She hadn’t felt this at peace in what seemed like months and she was glad she decided to take that step forward back into the world.

After what felt like hours they finally left the cafe to head their separate ways. Chloe offered Kate a ride back to Blackwell, but she insisted on taking the bus.

Kate gave Max one finally hug and leaned into her ear before letting her go “It was good to see you Max, let’s do this more often. And I don’t think you have anything to worry about with your ‘protector’, just be yourself.” She released her and darted off with a quick wink towards the bus stop leaving Max a blushing mess.

_Damn you Kate._

“Come on Maximo! Get that hippie ass over here, I’m starving!” Chloe whined.

“Y-yeah, sorry, I’m coming.” She replied keeping her eyes downcast as she hurriedly shuffled to the truck.

Chloe raised an eyebrow inquisitively but didn’t say anything as she hopped in the driver seat to head back to the house.

//

Joyce had left some dinner for the girls before she left work per usual which Chloe immediately attacked as soon as they got back to the house. She’d been observing Max’s eating habits since she’d brought her back from the hospital and was pleasantly surprised to see her appetite was returning to normal, if the rate she was inhaling her food was any indication. She didn’t want to push it, but she wasn’t above force feeding the little hippie if push came to shove. Luckily she seemed to be spared the trouble.

Everyday, she was slowly becoming the Max she remembered and today was the icing on the cake. It was nice to see her laughing again, so at ease and genuinely happy for once. At the same time she felt her creeping insecurities slowly crawling out from back of her mind. All it took was one day with Kate to bring out that joy again. Not that she should expect any less, Kate was a much better person than she would ever be. Maybe she would heal faster if she was at her dorms again, surrounded by people who were better for her, kinder to her.

_Why does she even bother with me when she has people like that in her life? And what was up with that fucking hand holding thing they had going on? It was obviously something judging by the color of Max’s face. Does she have a thing for Kate?_

The thought made her uncomfortable, but she couldn’t pin point why exactly. Kate was a sweetheart. Probably the only person on par with Max as far decency goes. That didn’t matter though, no one was good enough for Max as far as she was concerned. Hmph.

“Chloe? Are you ok?” She hadn’t realized she’d been just sitting there staring at the table until Max broke her out of her thoughts with a concerned look on her face.

Chloe cleared her throat “Yeah, sorry, just spacing out is all, thinking about today.” She tried to muster up her most convincing smile, but she doubted it was hitting the mark.

“Yeah, I really enjoyed today. Thanks for taking me and hanging out, I’m glad you finally got to meet Kate properly.”

If Max noticed something off with Chloe, she didn’t mention it. She just sat there and stared out the back glass door with a soft smile of contentment on her face that she hadn’t seen in so long. It was peaceful and gentle and it sent a warmth through Chloe’s chest she hadn’t felt in a long time. Suddenly she realized why the though of Max with someone else unsettled her so much. Why sometimes she caught herself staring, why all those little hugs and touches they shared made her feel a little warmer inside.

_Oh fuck._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my. Is that relationship development I’m reading? Well it’s about fucking time you lived up to your pricefield tag Law. Jeezzzz
> 
> Sorry again for the sluggish posting schedule. Day shift leaves no survivors and I’m obviously not coping well lol. The next chapter will be out much sooner though, rest assured. Much angst and love to come. I also have two other LiS fics I’m working on but unlike this one, I’ll be posting chapters once I actually have the story completed, one of which is halfway done. 
> 
> Everyone be safe out there! Until next time!


	13. Irony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the ridiculous delay. I got a long awaited department transfer in my job and things have been a bit hectic, but here we are at long last so I hope it was worth the wait. Believe it or not I actually have the drafts done of the next two chapters so hopefully I can get my shit together and post more frequently.
> 
> That being said, thanks for your continued support! It’s pretty mind blowing how well this has been received considering this is my first time ever writing so I’m truly grateful for all the kind words.

Dinner had taken an odd turn after she and Chloe had returned from their visit with Kate at the tea shop. Not long after they sat down, Chloe had suddenly become very withdrawn and borderline standoffish with nothing but short and curt responses and an overall irritation about her. It was making Max uneasy and sending her insecurities into rapid overdrive.

_Did I do something wrong? I thought we had a pretty good day going. Maybe she didn’t enjoy the outing with Kate as much as I had assumed? But she didn’t have to come, I told her that to begin with._

She gave up on questioning it and resigned to eat in uncomfortable silence until Chloe abruptly decided she was finished and got up to put her plate back in the kitchen. All her movements seemed to be edgy. Max decided to follow suit and try and figure out what exactly was up.

“Hey, is everything ok?”

Chloe didn’t make eye contact and just brushed past her and replied with an indifference with what appeared to be a forced nonchalance “Yup, why wouldn’t it be?”

“Because you seem kinda agitated all the sudden.” It came out as more of a question than a statement “What’s going on with you?” She couldn’t decide if she felt more concerned or annoyed with Chloe’s sudden attitude change and avoidance.

“Nothings ‘going on’ Max. I’m just tired is all.” There was a warning edge to her voice that didn’t go unnoticed. It was the tone she used when she didn’t want to converse.

“Chloe, that scowl hasn’t left your face since we sat down at the table and I know it’s not just because you’re ‘tired’. Did something happen?” She knew it was always a dangerous game to press Chloe if she didn’t want to talk about something, but her personal irritations over the past few days won out against the possible consequences.

“Will you just-” she quickly cut herself off, seeming to consider her words carefully “nothings wrong, alright, just drop it.”

_She’s doing it again, holding back because she thinks I’m gonna break at the drop of a hat. Well not this time Chloe. You’re gonna be real with me even if this completely blows up in my face._

She knew she was about to provoke the situation, but this overprotective barrier, or whatever the hell it was, needed to be breached once and for all. She crossed her arms and took a defensive stance as she steeled herself for the inevitable onslaught of Chloe’s wrath.

“That’s bullshit and you know it. If I did something wrong then just say it Chloe. I’m sorry if I ‘wasted’ your day by taking you to a tea shop with me and Kate, but you’re the one who wanted to come, I told you I would’ve taken the bus.”

Max had always been a passive and non-confrontational person by nature and the uncharacteristic assertiveness she was suddenly displaying seemed to take Chloe by surprise for a brief moment, but judging by the glare Chloe shot her, Max’s statement seemed to hit the nail on the head. “Well excuse me for interrupting your time with your new little Blackwell fiends.” She rolled her eyes condescendingly.

“What’s that suppose to mean? Am I not allowed to have friends from school?” Max scoffed, remembering Chloe’s all too familiar petulance from the previous timeline when she answered Kate’s phone call at the diner.

“I don’t give a fuck who you’re friends with. It doesn’t make a shit to me.”

“Then why are you acting like this all the sudden? What could Kate have possibly done to piss you off this bad? She’s like, the sweetest person that even exists in Arcadia Bay.” She replied incredulously.

“You know what Max, since all it took was a cup of pretentious fucking grass water and a single conversation with someone who isn’t a drop out fuck up to actually make you happy for once, maybe you should just go back to the dorms and let them try and piece you back together, because apparently they’d be a lot better at it than me.”

An instant look of regret came across Chloe’s face almost as soon as the words left her mouth. The statement she made took Max completely off guard, but not for the reason Chloe was probably panicking about at the moment.

“W-wait, fuck. I didn’t mean that Max. You’re not-”

Max held up her hands to cut her off. Gone was her irritation and she simply furrowed her brow in confusion. “Hang on. Is that what this is about? You think I’d be happier with my friends at Blackwell helping me through shit instead of here with you?”

Chloe’s face was a mix of guilt and sadness as she sighed and slumped her shoulders in defeat “I mean, all it took was like, one day with Kate and you seem happier than I’ve seen you for the past week you’ve been here. Anyone with a brain can tell she’s such a good fucking person and I can’t help but think you’d probably be doing way better with people like that helping you than me.”

_How could she possibly think, after everything she’s learned, that I’d rather be somewhere else.… Is that really what’s been bothering her this whole time?_

“Chloe, look at me.” She grabbed her hands and squeezed them gently, but firmly “I had such a good day today because I got to spend time with two people who are really important to me, just doing normal things for once in what feels like an eternity. I’m _here_ because you’re my best friend and I trust you more than anyone. I don’t have to put on a happy face for you, I can be myself, good or bad, and I know you’ll always understand and accept me. I really like the friends I’ve made at Blackwell, but they can’t help me like you can, like you _have._ I mean, honestly, who else is going to tell my psycho alter ego to fuck off in the middle of a time travel PTSD flashback? I don’t know about you, but I can’t really picture Kate or anyone else from Blackwell handling that situation very well.” That earned her a small chuckle and Max felt some of Chloe’s anxious tension dissipate, much to her relief. “I want to work through this with _you_ , if you’ll have me, but I don’t want to cause you stress over this because you think it’s your responsibility to ‘fix me’, or whatever. The last thing I want to be is a burden on you. You’re the most important person in my life Chloe.”

Chloe finally softened her expression, leaned forward and rested her forehead gently against Max’s as she gazed into her eyes “No, no, you’re not at all Max. I just-” she sighed “I was just letting my shit-insecurities get the better of me, per-fucking-usual. God, I really know how to fuck up a good day huh?” She chuckled sadly and worried her lip between her teeth “And… I’m sorry for what I said, about um, implying you’re broken or whatever. I didn’t mean that in a shitty way, or like, as shitty as it came out, or uh-”

“I know what you meant Chloe.” She smiled reassuringly “and stop worrying so much. I know you’ve been tiptoeing with your words lately and trying really hard not to upset me, but you don’t have to keep walking on eggshells around me. Now that doesn’t mean you get a free pass to be an asshole” she looked at her sternly “but I need you to realize I’m not gonna have a nervous breakdown if we have an argument every now and then, so stop treating me like I’m some delicate animal and just be yourself.”

Chloe moved quickly before Max had time to react and trapped her in a surprised hug as she rubbed her cheeks against her hair, pouting mockingly “Awwww, but you’re such a fragile baby kitten Caulfield. How can I not be protective of something so fluffy and innocent?!” She said dramatically.

Max giggled and struggled unsuccessfully against her captor until finally giving up “Ughh, you’re such an asshole. I’m a fucking time master and I expect to be treated as such! Now let go you damn giraffe!”

Both girls laughed and playfully fought against each other, momentarily relishing in the relief of tension they had subconsciously built up amongst themselves. As much as they had both preached to each other about honesty and transparency, Max realized they had both pretty well fallen short of those promises in their own ways. Things were always easier said than done, and their precarious circumstances hadn’t made it any easier for either of them to deliver on those promises.

Max knew Chloe was struggling with the reality of things she didn’t even have a first hand knowledge or memory of, on top of the loss of someone she loved and held very dear to her heart. All things considered, Chloe was holding up far better than any normal person in her position could. Max didn’t fully realize until that moment that she was holding Chloe to a standard that she couldn’t possibly be expected to live up to. Her childish thoughts of being overprotected made her feel ridiculous and foolish in hindsight. She should’ve been grateful someone even cared enough to go these lengths in such unbelievable circumstances without question like Chloe had.

Once they both settled down a bit, Max wrapped her arms around Chloe’s neck affectionately and placed a light, but tender kiss on her cheek and pulled her in for a tight hug. “Thank you for everything Chloe, really. I haven’t told you enough, but I wouldn’t even be here right now if it wasn’t for everything you’ve done for me.”

She felt Chloe stiffen at the gesture, probably because Max knew she only got flustered at genuine and honest displays of affection and appreciation. Even thought it was satisfying to know she had flustered Chloe for once, it made her feel a little sad to know she only reacted this way because it was so uncommon to her. After the initial surprise, she felt Chloe relax and return the embrace in earnest.

In any other circumstance, Max would have relished in the rare blush and embarrassment the self appointed ‘punk’ had exhibited in front of her, but the statement that came from Chloe’s mouth after they finally pulled away from each other robbed Max of all satisfaction by the sheer unexpectedness of it.

“Soooo, you have a thing for innocent Christian girls Max?” Chloe raised her eyebrows suggestively, but there was a slight glint of apprehension in her eyes.

“W-what?” Max replied, confused.

Chloe rolled her eyes “Oh come on, don’t be coy. You and Kate? I saw y’all holding hands. No need to be embarrassed, we all have a ‘type’, you just picked a REALLY surprising one is all. And hella hard to attain, good to know you like a challenge though.” She winked.

Max just just gaped at her like a fish out of water once the implication sunk in. “You think-” she paused and shook her head, making sure she understood this right “I do NOT like Kate.” She snorted “She might be very open minded about people’s personal choices and lifestyles, but I think she’d probably have a mild heart attack if a girl were to actually hit on her, much less _me_ of all people.” Max couldn’t help it, the thought of her asking _Kate_ out, made her break down in a fit of giggles she couldn’t contain.

Chloe looked at her slightly taken aback and a whole lot confused for some reason Max couldn’t quite pin point, but was too caught up in her fit of giggles to really contemplate at the moment.

“Then what was _”_ she waved her hands inexplicably and rolled her eyes “ _that_ all about?”

Max wiped a tear from her eyes trying to calm herself “What we were talking about when you walked up to join us? Oh God, not what you were imagining apparently.” She couldn’t help herself at the irony of it all and started giggling again much to Chloe’s confusion.

When she finally calmed herself to a manageable level again, Max just shook her head and chucked “Don’t worry about it Chloe, we were just having a…. heart to heart of sorts and it probably looked like something it definitely wasn’t. Kate is sweet, but is most definitely _not_ my type.” She smiled “but that was probably the best laugh I’ve had since your ‘kitchen queen’ incident, so thanks for that.” She snorted again.

Chloe’s face still held that odd contemplative look that Max couldn’t quite place mixed with a tinge of red “Huh, well I was kinda looking forward to a new wing man challenge with the whole _straight_ laced Christian girl thing, but ok I guess.” She chuckled sheepishly. Max couldn’t help but think there was an edge of relief in her voice mixed somewhere in there. She just shrugged it off as wishful thinking and thought of her conversation with Kate earlier.

_Jeeez, how did my quiet little life get to the point where my childhood punk best friend, who is also my girl crush, thought I had a crush on my conservative Christian friend from art school, who is also a girl? What the fuck Max, Seattle didn’t even give me this much to think about and it was a progressive city for fucks sake. I’m not even going to throw time travel in the mix for posterity’s sake._

Max shook her head at the absurdity of it all and started walking towards the stairs.

“I’m gonna hit the shower and get ready for bed. When I get out would you mind changing my bandage? It’s been itching like crazy.” She scratched at her chest.

Chloe nodded and turned towards the cabinets in the kitchen “Here, take your antibiotics too since we just ate so you won’t get sick later.”

Max descended back down the stairs “Yes Dr.Chloe.” She rolled her eyes “I would have remembered you know.” She grumbled.

“You never remember shit dude. Hence why you didn’t take them the first go round. And, since we’re playing doctor, you want me to give you a sponge bath too?” She waggled her eyebrows and gave Max her best seductive look.

“God, just give me the damn pills already.” Max knew she was joking, but damn if she didn’t get flustered lately when Chloe said stuff like that and judging by the shit eating grin on Chloe’s face, she knew it too.

“Your face is rather red Ms.Caulfield, maybe I should do a full body examination to make sure you’re not getting a fever.” She sauntered her way over to Max enticingly.

“Fuck off Chloe!” Max hissed and hurriedly made her way back up the stairs after downing the medication.

Chloe chuckled “You are too easy.”

//

Chloe sat outside on the swing set smoking a cigarette trying to calm her nerves while waiting for Max to shower. The emotional epiphany that hit her like a fucking freight train at the dinner table earlier, mixed with her ridiculous jealousy fueled outburst afterwards, had her mind running a million miles an hour.

She never really took a moment to think about her feelings for Max other than in a friendship capacity since they had reconnected. When she was a kid and started questioning her feelings towards boys and girls, Max was definitely a factor. She was the first person she ever genuinely crushed on, but that was short lived after Max’s departure to Seattle and her father’s death. She had her little ‘boy toy’ phase, but that was nothing more than a piss-off tactic to irritate Joyce and David while having some fun in the process. Feelings never came into play during those flings.

Then there was Rachel. The feelings she had for her were on a completely different level from anything she had experienced prior. That was the first time she knew what love was, or as close to love as she could comprehend. Rachel was beautiful, talented, smart and she made Chloe feel things she never had before. Feelings, that now, left her conflicted as she reflected on them. They were never an item, despite how much she hoped, but not having her feelings returned and knowing she was sleeping around behind her back still hurt all the same.

This whole situation was unsettling and it pissed her off to no end that she let these feelings creep up on her so unexpectedly. She knew there was a strong indication that Max developed feelings for her after reading her journal, but that Chloe wasn’t _her._ It was a version of herself she came to regard as nothing but a character in a story that she had only read about. Those weren’t _her_ actions or experiences, so it never really dawned on her to think about them too much. So what was she feeling now? Did Max’s feelings for her carry over in this timeline? Does Max even see her the same way anymore or was she just a knock off version of the Chloe that never was?

_Fuckkkkk feelings are hard enough without adding time travel into the mix. I wish Rachel was here. She’d know how to decipher all this mushy shit, she could always read my feelings better than I could. Then again, if she was here I’d probably just be hung up on my fucking pathetic one-sided pining for her. But would I really now that Max is in my life?_

She couldn’t deny those little electric jolts of attraction she felt when she thought back to when she and Max touched, or how this new confidence Max was showing occasionally made her stare in awe and affection, sometimes without even realizing it. The feelings had been there, subconsciously growing, but it took one hella bout of jealousy for her to really acknowledge it. And after Max gave her that little peck on the cheek earlier, boy was she sure as hell acknowledging it.

 _Yup, definitely have the hots for Max. Jesus, how am I even supposed to approach this? What if I’m not the Chloe she wants? What the fuck does that even mean?! *sigh* Well at least I know Kate isn’t something to worry about, I think? Totally made an ass of yourself there Chloe, by the way. I guess I’ll just play this by ear and see if she gives off any sign she even feels the same. The sponge bath comment seemed to rille her up though_ she chuckled _then again Max has always been easily to get a rise out of._

She heard the door open quietly behind her followed by a light tread of footsteps approaching. She exhaled the smoke in an exaggerated plume as she tried to quickly bury her clusterfuck of thoughts.

Max sat down in the rusted swing adjacent to her and stared out into the fading sky. A comfortable silence spread over them while they watched the setting sun change the colors of the clouds into warm hues of orange and pink. It was a calm evening, only disturbed by the slightest chill in the air, common of late October in Oregon. Out of the corner of her eye a small movement drew her out of the trance the sunset had induced and she turned to find Max staring at her intently with a gentle smile gracing her face.

_Fuck, don’t look at me like that, not now hippie._

For a moment both girls got lost in the peaceful atmosphere and found themselves content just taking each other in. Chloe had an overwhelming realization that something had changed between the two during the quiet exchange and she wondered if Max could feel it as well. It felt like the first time she had really looked at Max and saw more than just the dorky and sweet, shy girl she grew up with. What she saw now was a young woman with so much strength and kindness buried beneath the weight of endless trials and consequences, silently fighting to be set free from the wreckage left in it’s wake. And she was still so fucking beautiful despite it all.

_Yeah. I’m so fucked._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It probably goes without saying, but none of my work is beta’d so if you notice any mistakes or have any suggestions, it’s more than welcomed. 
> 
> Thanks again for reading! Stay safe out there.


	14. Let the Dead Lie: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the light at the end of the angst tunnel begins to reveal itself. Don’t get too excited though, it’s a long fucking tunnel lol. Three parts long to be exact, but at least you get them all this week :P

The numbers on the old digital clock cast an eerie red glow across the pitch black room as it sat atop the makeshift nightstand of old beer crates and books. It was two thirty-seven in the morning and it felt like it took twice as long for each minute to pass than normal.

Sleep never found Chloe easily after her father had died. It had gotten better after Max and Rachel had entered her life, but it still remained illusive most nights, even on the best of days. She could be completely exhausted throughout the day and count the seconds until she was back in bed to crash and it never failed that the moment she laid her head down, her thoughts would run rampant.

She’d replay her actions and conversations, what she could have said or done differently. Sometimes she’d map out some extraordinary scenario tomorrow might bring and what she would do to conquer it like a boss, and some nights she’d think over every failure she’d ever had in life and the anxiety of a fucked up future would send her into an existential crisis. This is usually where the weed came into play, but with Frank out of town she was left with little options for chemical coping mechanisms.

Tonight was different though. Tonight all she could think about was Max and how badly she wanted to tell her how she felt. And then she thought about Rachel, and how badly it hurt having those feelings not taken seriously. She knew she could handle rejection, but the question was whether or not she wanted to risk having to endure it for the off chance of having those feelings returned for once. It was a dangerous game, and one of the only things Chloe genuinely feared in life.

After they had their intense little gazing session on the swing set two days ago, things felt a little lighter in a way. They had both curled up on Chloe’s bed and watched a movie to finish the day and all thoughts of jealousy and doubt seemed to wash away. Max’s friend Waldo had lent her a flash drive of a shit ton of movies so they chose the stupidest thing they could find. It might have just been Chloe’s hopeful imagination, but the longer the film went on the closer they seemed to gravitate towards each other. She distinctly remembers not wanting the movie to end just so she could stay in that lighthearted moment for just a little longer.

But like all good things the film came to a close and Chloe couldn’t help but chuckle at the cute little sleepy mumbles Max was making as she burrowed herself deeper under the covers. Much to Chloe’s satisfaction, Max continued to stay nestled against her as they both settled for sleep. Chloe quickly realized this was just as much of a curse as it was a blessing though, because now she was hyperaware of every inch of contact between them and that was moment when her thoughts decided to run rampant at night.

So here she was, two days later at two thirty seven in the morning trying to navigate the endless rabbit trails her mind kept wandering down. She was reaching the point of total sleepless resignation when all the sudden she started hearing music playing faintly in her ears mixed with whispered voices that seemed to be coming from inside her head and all around her at the same time.

Her pulse elevated slightly at the thought that someone might be in her house or the possibility that she was losing her mind for lack of sleep. Before she could panic further the room began flickering until two ghostly looking figures began to take shape near her closet. She looked over to the clock and saw that the digital icon wasn’t blinking anymore and was set at two thirty eight.

She looked down at the hipster curled up against her and found her still fast asleep

_A dream… freeze? Is that a fucking thing now?_

She shifted her attention to the two hologram like apparitions and strained to listen to the conversation going in and out of clarity.

_Ah, this must be the morning after the pool, right after she took that photo I found in the truck…_

_“I love this morning light, it's so peaceful...” Max says._

_“Wouldn't it be wicked if we could just hang out here forever like when we were kids?”_

_Max sighed “Yes, but... sadly we're not kids anymore”_

_Chloe teased her playfully “At least you can date now, right? My dad was terrified of the day I would discover boys.”_

Chloe internally cringed, _Gee Chloe, obvious much?_

_“So... you never really told me if you had a serious boyfriend while I was away...”_

**_“_ ** _Not serious. Hella stupid, usually. I went through a "boy toy" phase. Among other things...”_

_“I can’t see you with any of the guys around here...”_

_“Because you have a good eye. That's why I was so glad Rachel came along to rescue me.”_

_Yup, just throw out your crush for someone else dumbass._

_“Sounds like you totally crushed on Rachel.”_

_Annnnnd she called it…_

****

_“You would have too. Smart, sexy and sassy... Like me, right?”_

_What the fuck was I going for here exactly?_

****

_“Well, duh! Maybe Rachel would have fought over both of us.”_

_“You wish! Then again, maybe... you're a photographer and she wanted to be a model.”_

Chloe was momentarily confused as the scene slowed warped and reversed back to the beginning of the conversation.

_She rewound?_

_“Wouldn't it be wicked if we could just hang out here forever like when we were kids?”_

_“Yep. I bet you and Rachel liked hanging out here too...”_

_“You know it. She reminded me of you when we faked sleep so our parents wouldn't make us get up too early Saturday morning...”_

_“Did you guys have a lot of sleepovers?”_ ****

_“As many as possible. But it was more fun at her place. Step-commando wanted us up at the ass-crack of dawn... It's cool to be back here with you.”_

_That was weird. She hasn’t really talked much about Rachel with me aside from that one time on the beach a while ago._

Past Max moved from the bed and her chlorine soaked clothes at Chloe’s suggestion to find something clean in her closet. Once her past self recommended Rachel’s clothes Chloe suddenly remembered what memory this was. When she initially read about the dare she thought of it as childish, but after realizing her own feelings she totally understood why her past self opted for that route; It was safe. It could all be made into a joke regardless of whether she accepted or refused. As she watched Max confidently go in for the kiss she felt an assortment of conflicting feelings. Satisfied at the thought that Max actually did it, jealousy that it wasn’t her getting to experience it first, and frustration at the way she had bitched out and pulled away.

What she couldn’t understand was why she pulled back after Max called her bluff, because if it would have been her current self, she definitely wouldn’t have let Max’s bravery go to waste. She didn’t get too far into the thought before things started to change around her once again. This time, instead of the warm peaceful glow of the morning light, the scene contorted into something darker and more desperate.

_“Come on….. almost ther..! Please wake up! Max…. hear me? Hang on, Max, we can make….Listen to me! Max! We’re near the ligh…. Wake up! Dammit….. let me down!”_

The urgency and fear in her voice made the hair stand up on Chloe’s neck. She didn’t know what this was and the vision was too clouded and glitchy to focus on.

_Why would she be thinking about this after the morning I just saw? Where’s the fucking connection in that? And what even is this?_

The dream continued on in distorted fragments of images and broken words. The only recognizable constant was deafening thunder she could feel to the bone and freezing rain tearing violently through the wind in a vengeful onslaught.

_Is this… was this the storm? Before she went back?_

Chloe found herself getting frustrated at the lack of clarity and equally just as terrified at what she might see if the image were to clear. The few understandable words left her hanging on the edge of the bed, desperate for an answer that was right in front of her yet just out of reach.

_“Max... it's time...”_

_“Chloe... I'm so, so sorry... I... I don't want to do this.”_

**_But you did it anyways._ ** ****

Suddenly a voice echoed through the air along with the booming thunder in a startling clarity that made Chloe jump in surprise.

She heard a sharp intake of breath come from Max and in an instant the images around Chloe disappeared and the clock on her nightstand continued to blink two thirty-eight in the morning. She turned to find Max sitting up-right gasping for breath.

“M-Max?” She reached out and gently touched her shoulder causing Max to jump.

Max turned to look at her and she felt a chill run down her spine at the wide eyed terror on her face illuminated by the eerie red glow of the clock. “Chloe? Did.. did you see all that?” She asked in a shaky voice.

“Yeah. Well that last part was mostly just fragments, but you’ve been dreaming memories.” She remembered all the times Max woke up gasping for breath or tearing at her wrists. “Do you have these kind of dreams every night?”

The silence she received gave Chloe her answer.

“Max, what was that?”

She let out a long breath “It was… it was the storm. When we were watching it by the lighthouse for the last time, before I…. before I went back.”

_I knew it._

“What actually happened out there? I’ve been wondering since I first found out you could time travel.”

Max but her lip nervously. “I- I don’t want to talk about it. Not yet.”

Chloe sighed, a little more impatiently than she had intended. “Max, I kinda already know how the story ends, it’s not like-”

“It’s not just a story for me Chloe.” She cut her off abruptly. “It’s shit I lived through.”

Chloe swallowed her words and mentally kicked herself for letting her curiosity get the better of her mouth once again. “I know, I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. I just… There’s just so much I still don’t know is all.”

Max sighed tiredly and pinched the bridge of her nose. “No, don’t apologize, there’s just some things I’m just not ready to share yet and that’s one of them. I know things are harder to understand from your point of view, I didn’t mean to get snippy with you.”

“It’s cool Max, I get it.” She wanted to be more reassuring, she really did, but she couldn’t deny she was feeling left out of an important part of Max’s life. She sighed dejectedly and nudged her gently back down. “Come on.”

Max relaxed and laid back down next to her. She was still shaking slightly so Chloe wrapped her up in her arms and pulled her close. Like always, she had more questions than answers, but now obviously wasn’t the time to probe. It felt like another part of Max’s life she’d never get to experience and she was starting to resent past Chloe for that.

Max nuzzled closer and whispered against Chloe’s collar bone causing her to shiver at the contact. “I promise I’ll tell you everything Chloe, just give me some more time please.”

She breathed her in and nodded, not finding much comfort in the words but enjoying the warmth all the same. This night was a moment of realization for Chloe that there was so much about Max she didn’t know about, but the terrifying part was the possibility that maybe Max didn’t want her to know and she’d forever be left in the dark just like she was with Rachel. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat and pushed down the fear of uncertainty before it could spike her anxiety any further and resigned herself to the only thing she could do; wait.

“Okay.”

_//_

Max was finishing up her laundry and hanging her clothes in Chloe’s closet that they both shared. It had been two days since the big “time dream debut”. Her nightmares had become more manageable as each day passed and she had assumed that was a sign that she was starting to get over things. Unfortunately her dreams weren’t so much slowing down as they were changing.

They were recurring scenes of specific moments and it never failed that when she had a good dream it was always followed by a bad one she hadn’t yet had the courage to discuss. She’d promised Chloe time and time again to talk to her about these things, but there was always a barrier she was afraid to cross with her. Probably because her feelings for Chloe were intertwined with most of those memories and she wasn’t sure how she would react to that.

Whatever powers may be apparently wanted to force the issue since Chloe was now aware of these new developments and asking questions. She knew she was getting frustrated at being left in the dark and she had every right to be. Max had so far deflected getting to the ugly heart of her trauma by carefully censoring which memories she chose to show. Everything that happened had just as much to do with Chloe as Max, if not more so.

She hated the look of hurt on Chloe’s face every time she shut down her questions or changed the subject. She deserved the truth, but Max wasn’t sure she’d ever be ready to face the real horrors that lurked in her heart and mind. 

She sighed and continued putting her clothes up when her hand brushed up against Rachel’s shirt. It seemed like a lifetime ago when she wore those clothes, and in all technicality she supposed it really was another lifetime.

_Of all the memories to start broadcasting it just had to be those two. Way to make things awkward universe._

“It’s cool if you still want to wear them.”

Max yelped in surprise from the unexpected interruption and earned a giggle from Chloe in the process. “Wow, zoned out much Maximum spook?”

“Sorry, just got lost in thought for a moment.” She laughed sheepishly and shook her head.

“Yeah laundry makes me contemplate to much too, that’s why I throw half my shit on the ground.” She smirked.

Max chuckled and nudged a few crumpled up shirts on the floor with her foot. “The true culprit of existential crisis finally discovered. Gee, everything makes so much more sense now.”

Chloe nodded in mock reverence. “Mmm indeed. It’s when I first achieved self enlightenment and was finally able to recognized a smartass when I saw one.” She rolled her eyes as nudged her playfully.

“Takes one to know one.” Max stuck her tongue out.

“Anyways, you gonna wear the shirt or just stare holes in it? I don’t mind, and I’m sure Rachel would still want someone to rock her threads.” She smiled thoughtfully. “Plus you looked kinda cute as a punk.”

To anyone else it was probably just simple and playful banter about clothing, but to Max it caused a torrent of emotions. For starters it was a confirmation that Chloe had, in fact, watched her dream. It’s not like she hadn’t read about it anyways, but this felt like an involuntary violation of an intimate moment she didn’t consent to share.

Secondly, it reminded her of the ever present shadow Rachel Amber had cast over her. The near constant comparison everyone felt the need to remind her of was stifling in the previous timeline, and she didn’t even want to give it the chance to creep into this one.

“No, this was Rachel’s style, not mine.” She replied nonchalantly and continued folding her laundry.

“Max, you-”

“Don’t have a style”. She cut her off before she could finish. “I know, but whatever style I have, it’s not Rachel’s.” She hoped the words didn’t come out as bitterly as they tasted in her mouth.

Chloe looked at her strangely “Uh, ok, whatever man, just thought I’d let you know it’s cool if you wanted to.”

Max softened a bit and tried to give a convincing smile. “Yeah, um thanks though.”

“Sure. Uh, anyways I was wondering if you would do something with me?” Her tone took on a nervous edge and Max noticed her start fidgeting with her feet.

“What did you have in mind?”

“I’d like to go to the junkyard today if you’d be cool coming with.” It came out as more of a question than a statement and Max was more than a little surprised Chloe was even considering this.

She must have been quiet a beat too long because Chloe quickly interjected. “Hey, I know some bad shit happened there and you might not be ready for that so it’s cool if you don’t want to, I just thought I’d ask.”

Max quickly shook herself out of her stupor. “No, no of course I’ll come with you. You just took me by surprise for a second there is all. This must be really important to you.” She replied reassuringly despite her doubts.

Chloe breathed a sigh of relief. “Yeah, it is. I just want to try and fucking move on you know?”

_More than you’ll ever know Chlo..._

“So what’s going through your head?” She asked carefully as she sat down on the bed and patted the spot next to her, gesturing for Chloe to join.

Chloe rubbed the back of her neck nervously and sat down. “What you said the other night got me thinking and I think I’m finally ready to ‘confront’ some shit or whatever.” She did air quotes with her fingers and rolled her eyes. “I’m tired of always running away from things, I just don’t want to do it alone, but I don’t want to push this shit on you either if you’re not ready.”

Max grabbed Chloe’s hand and gently intertwined it with hers. “I’ll go. I won’t let you do this alone Chlo, I promise.” Whatever this was, obviously meant a great deal and it was a stark comparison to the girl who liked to run away from her problems or shift blame to avoid it all together. There was a strong possibility it might end up hurting them both, but Max was determined to be there for her as best she could.

//

Chloe looked up and searched her eyes for any doubt or fear. All she found was that same confident determination that took her breath away that morning before the incident at the beach. Confidence was a beautiful thing when worn by Max Caulfield, but also a little unnerving at the same time. It continued to spur on the never ending question of what actually happened to bring out this new quality in her and why it only came about when it involved something important to Chloe, and those questions led to the realization that Max might never tell her the truth.

Despite the conflict of reason, Chloe couldn’t deny she was grateful and decided to leave it at that before her thoughts could turn on her, especially with the task she chose to undertake today. Today was a two part goal. Yes, she wanted to finally put things behind her, but she also wanted Max to open up more. It wasn’t going to be pleasant, but she hoped that if she showed she was willing to move forward then maybe Max would be comfortable enough to do the same.

_//_

The drive was mostly filled with silence aside from the soft music Chloe had asked Max to play much to her surprise. The cab of the old truck held an anxious tension in the air that neither girl could quite get a grasp on. It felt more apprehensive than foreboding, but was unsettling all the same.

Every mile closer wound the tension tighter and tighter until they finally pulled up at the entrance of the old scrap yard. In an instant it was broken and both girls sat quietly, neither quite ready to move and yet itching to get out at the same time. Before too much time could pass Max made the decision to reach over and grab Chloe’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze letting her know it was time. Chloe nodded her head in silent understanding and took one last deep breath before moving towards the door handle.

The day was calm with an overcast gray sky that seemed to somehow intensify the chill in the air. Max let Chloe lead the way as she followed silently. They didn’t take the direct path to Rachel’s previous resting place. Instead they walked along the trails between the scrap heaps, until Max directed them down to the train tracks. Chloe looked at her curiously when she saw that Max didn’t need direction around the place. Max thought it was odd until she remembered that from Chloe’s point of view this was her first time here and she supposed it technically was in this timeline. Chloe didn’t comment on it.

After all trails and tracks had been travelled their steps began to slow, they both knew where the last stop was. Before long both Chloe and Max stood at the edge of the shallow grave that once housed Rachel’s body. Remnants of crime scene tape were still waving in tattered strands around the excavation site. Max walked up next to Chloe and remained silent until her companion was ready to talk. The mood didn’t feel eerie or depressing like she had assumed would be the case. The wind was calm and the silence in the air felt more like a solemn reverence one might expect at a memorial service of some form or another.

Chloe reached over without looking up and took Max’s hand in her own. Her grip tightened slightly as she took in a steadying breath of preparation.

“Would you show me?” She whispered.

Max didn’t need Chloe to elaborate to know exactly what she was asking. She silently mulled over the request and hesitated before gathering her words. “Chloe, you don’t have-”

“I want to.” She cut her off. “I need to see it. I have to get the this stupid fucking hope that she’s still out there somewhere out of my head. Please.”

The desperation in Chloe’s voice is what won out against Max’s better judgement. She nodded silently and began to concentrate on the moment Chloe’s world fell apart for the second time.

The air got thick and shadows overcast the gray sky as the pitch black of night consumed the space around them like an eclipse. All was deathly quiet until echos of footsteps could be heard approaching in an odd reverberation of a ghostly time past.

Around the corner two girls charged up the path with a purpose _._

_“Chloe, slow down! Wait for me!”_

_“I know exactly where I'm going!”_ Chloe yells as she runs to the corner of the junkyard near the Steve's Famous Crab sign.

_“Look, this is it! This is it!”_

Chloe gets on her knees and begins to dig with her hands frantically.

_“Are you going to help me, Max?”_

Max falls to her knees and begins digging until her face contorts into a pained realization.

_“Chloe, stop! Look!”_

_“Please, no...”_ Chloe’s voice begins to crack.

_“That smell...”_

_“Rachel... Oh, Rachel, no, no! Please, not her!”_

Max covers her mouth with her hands as she takes in the gruesome discovery. Chloe moves a few feet away and begins to gag. Max runs over to Chloe and puts one hand on her shoulder and another hand on her back, trying to comfort her.

_“Chloe...”_

_“Rachel... why?”_

_“I'm sorry, Chloe. I'm so sorry...”_

Chloe hugs her knees to her chest, sobbing, and covers her face with her hand. Max puts her hands on her shoulders and hugs her.

_“I loved her so much... How can she be dead? What kind of world does this? Who does this?”_

A ghostly deer watches them from across the junkyard and slowly bows its head. Gradually, it fades away.

The tightening grip on Max’s hand is what finally pulled her out of the trance the scene had induced. She released her hold on time and let the world flow freely around her as the black night retreated back to the depths of her mind and was replaced by the pale gray of the overcast sky.

When she looked over at Chloe she saw her jaw was clenched and silent tears were running down her face. Sadness was evident, but what took Max by surprise was the anger burning in her watery blue eyes.

“Chloe…” Max whispered cautiously.

Chloe screwed her eyes shut and let out a shaky breath. “Why… why couldn’t she have just..”

Max gently touched Chloe’s hand still intertwined with hers. “Just what?”

“Just fucking… talked to me?!” She pulled away from Max’s grasp and threw her beanie across the junk yard. “She was supposed to be my best friend. We told each other everything! We had plans, and then she just fucking… Fuck!” She kicked at the dirt and started pacing, desperate to relieve some of the angry energy building up inside her.

“I’m so sorry Chloe...” Max said quietly, not knowing how to comfort her friend even though she so desperately wished she could take away the pain she was feeling.

Chloe turned to look at her and the hurt and anger in her eyes was enough to almost break Max’s heart. “I don’t want an apology, I just want to know why. Why couldn’t she trust me with the truth? What is it about me that makes everyone shut me out?!”

Max took a step back. “I trust you Chloe and I’m sure she did too. How can you even say-”

“No you don’t! If you did you’d let me in instead of constantly keeping me in the dark about everything just like she did!”

She grit her teeth as anxiety started creeping in. “It’s not always that simple Chloe.”

Chloe narrowed her eyes and took a step forward. “Whatever, you’re no fucking different from her.” She scoffed.

“Don’t compare me to her.” Her voice took on warning edge. “I’m nothing like Rachel and I don’t want to be.”

“What the hell is your problem with Rachel anyways? You never even met her.” She shot back accusingly.

Her blood began to boil at the accusations. Chloe didn’t fucking get it, but as always she felt the need to blame without listening. “It’s not Rachel I have a problem with. It’s everyone else that seems to have a problem with me.”

“What the fuck does that even mean? I thought you wanted us to ‘talk’ through this shit. Well here I am talking and of course you can’t just come out and say what’s bothering you.”

“That’s not why-”

“Bullshit, it’s obviously something, because every time I bring her up you go all sulky and shit. So what, are you jealous or something? It’s not my fault you ghosted me for five years and she filled the void, did you just expect me to wait on you forever?”

“Not everything is about you Chloe!” She snapped in an ferocity she didn’t even know she possessed. “Of course I expected you to move on! I hoped so badly that you would. I’m sorry you got stuck with me and not her, but I can’t fucking help that! It didn’t matter what I said or did, I was always in her shadow. Fuck, I couldn’t even try new clothes without people telling me I was just a wanna be Rachel Amber. If it wasn’t you then it was Frank or Victoria or Nathan or Joyce and David, and even fucking Jefferson constantly comparing me to her! I’m just Max, that’s all I’m ever going to be, and it hurts knowing everyone wants you to be someone you’re not.”

Chloe’s face shifted into one of confusion. “Max, what are you even talking about?”

Max screwed her eyes shut and felt the onslaught of memories bubbling up one by one. She could feel time writhing under her emotions and before she could try and calm herself she felt control slip from her grasp as the world twisted around her in a picture show of memories.

_“Rachel! Uh... I—I mean, Max... Whew, you startled me. You fit those clothes well.”_

_“Is that your Rachel Amber Halloween costume?”_

_“Oh look, "Max Amber."_

_“Whatever, Rachel would have understood..”_

_“She looked beautiful in those clothes, you just look like ass.”_

_“They’re fucking together in heaven.”_

_“I wish Rachel was here…”_

“ _You’re so innocent and naïve, nothing like Rachel.”_

_“We have to use your powers to find her Max.”_

_“I wish Rachel was here. I wish Rachel was here. I wish Rachel was here.”_

Chloe stumbled back startled at the sudden display and looked around trying to piece each scene together before another one would take its place in a rapid fire succession.

Max could feel the pressure in her head growing sharper by the second as she struggled to regain control that was just out of her reach. Eventually the pressure began to subside and the warm sensation of blood made its presence know as it dripped down her chin into the dirt below. She took the loss of pressure as an opportunity to break the chaos around her as each image disappeared almost as quickly as it came. She wobbled slightly as dizziness overtook her. Her vision was hazy at best, but she could identify the figure standing in front of her even if her eyes were closed.

The Other walked around Max with her arms crossed and a smug look on her face. “I told you this would happen Maxine.” She taunted before turning her attention to Chloe and glaring at her. “Huh, and you told me at the beach that I was a liar. Pft right, you know damn good and well you’d trade her for Rachel if the opportunity presented itself. What was that stupid saying you always plastered everywhere?” She stroked her chin in thought before napping her fingers in mock revelation. “Oh yeah, everyone lies, no exceptions right?”

Chloe looked on in confusion and anger trying to process everything that had just transpired. “Max…I didn’t know that’s what you thought all this time, but you have to actually _tell me_ things, because I don’t know what all the fuck you went through or what this is. I’m not the same Chloe as back then, but I’ve been trying constantly just to fucking understand. And I didn’t lie, you’re Max Caulfield and that’s all I want you to be-”

“Oh shut the fuck up Chloe.” The Other rolled her eyes and cut in. “She might be incredibly fucking stupid but she’s not naïve.” She walked around to Max and put her arm on her shoulder in a caring manner. “You don’t have to do this again. I know first hand how shitty it is to not be good enough, I’m an abandoned timeline remember?”

Chloe clinched her jaw and took a step forward. “Don’t fucking listen to her Max, you know how much you mean to me, she’s just trying to turn us against each other.”

Max finally looked up at her in a ragged display of exhaustion and resignation. “Is she Chloe? Because it feels like we’re doing that just fine on our own.”

Chloe looked at her incredulously. “You’re fucking kidding me.” She scoffed. “You’re actually going to listen to her?”

“This isn’t about her. I’m just Max, and nobody seems to think that’s good enough, no matter what timeline I’m in.”

“No, the only person who doesn’t think they’re good enough is you Max. You’re the one letting this piece of shit get to you.” She pointed furiously.

The Other stepped forward challengingly. “Fuck off Chloe, you don’t know the half of what Max has gone through for your sorry ass, not like I do.”

“You’re right, I don’t, but that’s not my fucking fault now is it.” She took one last look at Max and turned around without another word.

Max knew she was right, Chloe didn’t know, and it wasn’t her fault, none of this was. Everything in her was screaming to run after her as she watched her storm off through her spotted vision, but her body wouldn’t move. She was tied down by the crushing weight of self doubt and uncertainty and the ever present clutches of time that refused to to let her out of its grasp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys.... I’m so sorry. Holy shit has it been a rough couple of months. Job transfer, surgery, new house, FUCKING HURRICANES. *sigh* This girl be a bit tired to say the least lol.
> 
> Despite all of that I’ve continued to write as much as I possibly could on my down time. This fic will 100% get finished, that I can assure you, just don’t expect a consistent schedule (not that I expected you to anyways with how ‘reliable’ I’ve been lately lol). I really hoped to get this three part section out for Pricefield week, but, well, you can see how well that went. 
> 
> The only plus side of this little break is that I’ve accumulated a lot of ideas for where I want this fic to go and I’m in the process of mapping out the path to that ending. I still have quite a few chapters to go, and definitely a lot more fluffy ones after this three parter. I’m particularly excited for chapter 17 which is almost done if you can believe it.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this angsty ass chapter and as I said earlier, you can expect two more this week as well. 
> 
> K Bye :D


	15. Let the Dead Lie: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Max and Chloe have a little chat. Just not with each other...

The walk alone with her thoughts felt like an eternity as the Other followed silently behind her. Every step was a reminder that she had done the very thing she swore she’d never do again; she ran away.

The situation concerning this particular departure was vastly different, but the feelings were all the same as the first time she’d ditched Chloe all those years ago. Fear, shame, guilt: The golden trio that seemed to dictate everything Max did in life.

_Why does this always happen? It seems like we’re just going around in circles between blowing up on each other and apologizing._

The Other smirked as she skipped next to Max and waved her finger back and forth in mock lecture.

**_You know, for all the effort you went through to keep her alive, you’d think maybe you would, oh I don’t know, actually work towards some semblance of a relationship. Communication is key they say._ **

Max kept her head low and didn’t acknowledge her double _._ She’d decided to tag along and hadn’t stopped spouting ridicule since Max had began walking to…. Wherever the fuck her feet were taking her.

**_I told you what would happen if you stayed. Not that I expected you to actually prove me wrong, but I at least expected a little effort from the great time lord._ **

Max glared at her copy, her patience finally at its end. _Fuck you, I’m doing the best that I can. Why do you even care, isn’t this what you wanted anyways?_

**_Please._** She rolled her eyes. **_All you’re doing is avoiding things instead of actually dealing with them. The dead will only lie if you actually put forth the effort to bury them, otherwise they continue to fill the air with lingering rot and suffering. And you already know what I want, so ask a question that isn’t stupid or redundant for once._**

_I don’t want to hear any of your sick metaphors. Just leave me the fuck alone already!_

**_No can do Maxine, we still have a long way to go, but at least this long ass walk is finally over._ **

The Other flickered out of existence as the statue of Jeremiah Blackwell came into view on the horizon. She hadn’t been back here since a few days before Chloe drug her off the cliff almost two weeks ago. She didn’t particularly know why she ended up here now, but considering she didn’t have any other place to go, she didn’t dwell on it too much. When she finally approached the campus grounds she staggered tiredly over to the bench by the fountain. She’d been careless with her powers today and now she was paying the price as it started taking a toll on her body. She was already sluggish the past few days from unconsciously using them at night as it was, how the hell she made it all the way to Blackwell on foot is beyond her.

She could smell the oncoming metallic scent of blood again and quickly pulled out some napkins from her bag in an attempt to head it off before it started flowing freely. Luckily it was the middle of second period and no one was lingering in the immediate vicinity to talk. She took a deep breath as she held the tissue to her nose and tried to collect her thoughts after the nightmare that just transpired. She was interrupted by the sharp footfall of boots on concrete coming from behind her and turned around only to be greeted by a very surprised David Madsen stopping in front of her.

“Max? What are you doing here? And where’s Chloe?” He looked around in an attempt to locate the punk as if she might be hiding somewhere nearby.

_Great. This isn’t the conversation I want to have right now._ She internally sighed.

“She’s not here Mr. Madsen, just me, promise. Why are you still here? Aren’t you on nights this month?”

He turned his attention back to her and furrowed his brow in irritation. “First-shift called in sick so I’m covering until my relief gets here at noon. Doesn’t help they left me a shit ton of paperwork to finish too. So is Chloe at home or something? You still haven’t told me why you’re here, I came over because I thought you were a student cutting class.”

Max squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze and barrage of questions, still lightheaded from over exertion. “I don’t know where Chloe is to be honest.” She hesitated a moment before deciding to tell a partial truth as not to raise suspicion. “We kinda got into an argument earlier and I didn’t really know where else to go so I came here for a bit.”

David looked at her questioningly for a moment, analyzing her words until his eyes landed on the tissue under her nose and his demeanor turned to one of concern. “Wait, she didn’t hit you did she?”

Max stared back confused until she realized her current physical condition probably didn’t look too well coupled with the explanation she just gave. “Oh dog no! I just have a nose bleed is all, probably from the dry air. Chloe might have a hell of a temper, but she’d never hit me.” She replied quickly as not to raise any more false suspicion.

David relaxed his stance gradually, seemingly convinced at her explanation. He let out a sigh and took a seat next to Max. “Well that’s a relief.”

The comment immediately irritated her. _I guess it’s only ok if you do it._

She shook the thought from her head and tried to focus. The last thing she needed right now was an argument over something she couldn’t even prove in this timeline.

“I don’t mean to pry, but walking all the way to Blackwell is a bit overkill on distancing yourself from an argument.”

Max didn’t know if she felt more annoyed that David was still probing or curious that he actually sounded like he was genuinely concerned. Either way she couldn’t exactly dismiss him seeing as how she was technically not supposed to be on campus, and quite honestly she didn’t have the energy to protest even if she wanted to.

She sighed and decided to keep it vague. “Chloe keeps pushing for me to talk about things. We made a promise to be honest with each other and I haven’t exactly come through on my part of the deal. Anyways, you know how she can get when she’s frustrated, we both said some things we probably shouldn’t have.”

David nodded in understanding and let out a tired chuckle. “She makes sure the world knows when she gets frustrated, that’s for damn sure.” He shook his head.

“That she does. I just don’t know if I’ll ever really be able to tell her the truth though. I just want to forget it all happened and leave it alone. I know she’s still hurting over Rachel too. I wish I could be that kind of friend to her, more open and outgoing, but I’m just…. Scared little Max.” She didn’t know where this was coming from all the sudden. David was the last fucking person she wanted to vent to, but for some reason, maybe exhaustion, she found herself pouring it all out before she could stop.

David remained silent, mulling over what she had said. Finally he glanced up and gave her a serious look. “Max, I don’t know you or your history with Chloe very well, but anyone who’s willing to put their life on the line for their friends is no coward or ‘little’ anything. I will say say this though; Chloe’s right to encourage you to talk about what happened. I’m a walking example of what happens when you bottle everything up.”

“You’re not a bad person David. Your methods are just a little….. extreme is all.” She tried to make it sound as gentle as she could even though what she really wanted to say was ‘paranoid and controlling as fuck’.

“Exactly, I made demands that I didn’t provide a context or explanation for and expected everyone around me to accept it like I knew what was best.”

_Wow, didn’t expect that answer._

“No offense David, but you’re not exactly the kind of person to admit when you’re wrong. I guess I’m a little surprised right now?”

He looked away with a shameful expression. “I’ve been thinking over a lot of my actions lately. Chloe is actually the one who made me realize a lot of my shortcomings recently, if you can believe that.”

“Uh, how exactly?” She asked, bracing herself for another tale of their famous shouting matches, or worse.

He pursed his lips and looked up at her. “She returned a gun she had taken from me and called me out for doing something ‘extreme’ as you called it.”

“She returned it? Like, on her own?” She asked incredulously.

He chuckled at her surprise. “She did, and she did it because of you. I was furious at first, but after she turned the tables on me I realized It’s probably the most mature I’ve seen her act in a long time. Said she didn’t want you anywhere near something like that after what happened. Even asked me for advice afterwards.”

“What the hell kind of advice would she ask you for?” She blurted out. “Uhh, no offense.” She held her hands up sheepishly.

“Hey, imagine how surprised I was kid.” He let out a gruff chuckle. “She asked me how to help you with PTSD. I told her how talking with Joyce had helped me, then later when I thought about our conversation I realized I only told Joyce what I thought she could handle, not the real things _I_ couldn’t handle talking about. I’ve been a such a damn hypocrite, and I realized I don’t have any right to dictate people’s lives for my own failures.”

Max took in his words and realized two things from them. One, that David has been carrying these same kind of wounds for years, and now that she has an idea of just how painful it can be, her sympathy for the man known as Step-Douche, grew exponentially. And two, Chloe has been busting her ass trying to help her from the beginning, to the extent that she’d sacrifice her pride and actually ask a man she hates for advice _and_ admit she was wrong on top it.

“I think I have an idea now of why you do things the way you do. I’m not gonna lie though, the way you treated Chloe is completely unacceptable and you need to try _much_ harder.” She said sharply. “But I’m also sorry.” She lowered her voice. “Sorry you’ve had to feel way for so long. I understand what that’s like now.”

He shook his head at her apology. “I’m a war veteran, I signed up knowing the possibility that these things might happen to me, but you didn’t Max. You just wanted to go to high school like every other kid your age. So I owe you the apology, I was so caught up in my own war that I failed to protect you and Chloe both and I’m truly sorry for that. And I know the way I’ve acted towards Chloe has been dishonorable, both as a man and a soldier. I doubt I can ever make up for the mistakes I’ve made with her, but I promise I’ll do my best Max.” He spoke with an uncharacteristic sincerity that gave her hope he would be true to his word.

It brought back the memory of when David had saved her life in the worst hell she’d ever been in and cried over the loss of his step daughter. He might be rough around the edges and made poor choices, but his heart had always been in the right place and she would always be grateful to him for that.

“Thank you David, for talking to me, you’ve helped me more than you know.” She smiled softly at him.

He looked away, obviously embarrassed at her word and cleared his throat. “I still have a lot to work on and I’m not trying to tell you what to do, but I will say this; you think you’re protecting her by not saying anything, but really you’re just hurting both of you. Don’t make the same mistakes I did Max.”

She let the words sink in and quietly nodded. The circumstances that brought her here were shitty, but she was glad for the words she received today if nothing else. It opened her eyes to a lot of things she was unaware of and gave her a lot to think about. It wouldn’t change her feelings on things completely, but it gave her a new perspective on what it means to move forward.

David sat up and groaned tiredly as he stretched. “Well, I’ve got a lot to work to do so I better be on my way, keep yourself out of trouble.”

“Hey, I know I’m not really supposed to be here, but would it be alright if I hung around for a bit longer?”

He thought it over a moment then shrugged. “As long as you don’t disrupt classes I don’t see why not.”

“I won’t, I don’t think I’m quite ready to embark in a classroom just yet, homeschool might be spoiling me.” She chuckled.

He gave a small smile before heading off. “It was good talking to you Max.”

//

Chloe opened the door to her house and looked for any sign that Max had returned after their blowout. Her shoes weren’t meticulously placed in the foyer like they usually were, Chloe’s room was vacant with the bed still made as Max had left it and there was no sign of her messenger bag lying around so she wrote the house off as a negative for a Mad Max. Any other time her nicknames would have brought a smile to face if it wasn’t for the fact that it was a one hundred percent literal description of the way she left Max earlier.

_What the hell does she expect? I can’t fucking read minds._

“Chloe? What the hell are you lookin for so urgently with all that bangin around your doin?” Joyce waddled out of her room with her arms crossed, sleep clouding her tired eyes.

“Nothing Joyce, just go back to sleep, sorry I woke you.” She grumbled and started towards the stairs.

“Nothin huh? That’s a lotta racket for nothin.” She pressed.

Chloe sighed irritably. “I said I was sorry alright. I guess I can’t do shit without pissing everyone off today.” She grumbled under her breath.

“I didn’t say I was mad at ya, just curious as to what you were doin is all.” She raised her eyebrow questioningly. “Who’d you go and piss off now?”

“Who do you think.” She crossed her arms defensively and looked away. “I just came to see if she came home or not, like I said, sorry for waking you.”

“And what did you do to her exactly.” She asked nervously, no doubt remembering the last time Chloe snapped on her at the hospital.

“I know what you’re thinking and it’s nothing like that ok. I just can’t get her to talk to me about anything and I got pissed and stormed off like usual.” She threw her hands up.

“Hmmm, go down stairs and put on some coffee, I’ll be down there in a minute.” She said before turning back into her room.

Chloe rolled her eyes and sighed again. “It’s not that big a deal Joyce, I’m not staying long anyways, I’m going to look for her somewhere else.”

“It wasn’t a question Chloe, just put the damn coffee on.” She yelled from her room.

The edge in her mother’s voice had Chloe internally yelling as she stomped down the stairs towards the kitchen.

Part of her wanted to say fuck it and just ditch out anyways, but their relationship was still fragile at best after the hospital incident. She decided not to push her luck and resigned herself to making the damn coffee and waiting for whatever little chat they were about have.

She stared blankly at the coffee maker, letting her mind wander as she watched it drip through slowly, filling the air with earthy aromas.

Her thoughts were a jumbled mess of mixed emotions. She didn’t know what she was going to do even if she did find her, but she couldn’t leave things the way she left them even if Max didn’t trust her. It was always like that it seemed. She was always running after everyone else after constantly getting left behind. Then the unsettling thought occurred that maybe she wasn’t running at all, maybe she was only ever pushing everyone away and her following was only pushing them further.

A loud clank pulled her from her thoughts and she turned to find Joyce pulling a mug out of the cabinet less than gracefully. Probably because she was still half asleep. She poured her cup and took a few quiet sips, getting the caffeine in her system before choosing to speak. The silence made Chloe nervous for some reason. It felt like she was constantly on a time limit and this lull in momentum was keeping her on edge. It didn’t go unnoticed.

“Chloe.” She said simply as she placed her cup down on the table. “What’s got you so wound up.”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Mom do we really need to do this right now, I’m not in the mood to talk or whatever this is.”

Joyce just started back at her, a placid look on her face, but nothing Chloe could concretely decipher.

Joyce ignored her words and continued. “I’ve watched you and Max the past few weeks and to be honest it seems like the biggest game of tug-o-war I’ve ever seen in my life. Now you can keep running in these same circles over and over, or you can tell me what’s going on with you two.”

Her tone of voice made it clear this conversation wasn’t up for debate. It was happening one way or another, and as much as her rebellious side wanted to shrug her off, she couldn’t deny the urge to talk to someone, anyone, about what she was feeling.

So she sighed and prepared for whatever was about to spill out of her mouth during this little convo. “I honestly don’t know anymore. It’s all so fucking much.”

Joyce narrowed her eyes. “I’ll let that one slide. How about you start from what happened today and we’ll go from there.”

“We… we went to the junkyard and we ended up snapping on each other.”

“Why were you at the junkyard?” She stared her down disapprovingly.

“I wanted to put some stuff behind me, I just wanted to move on even just a little. And I thought if I opened up a bit then maybe Max would too I guess.”

Her expression eased and she nodded in understanding. “Ok, so what set you both off?”

“Max just shut off like she usually does. I got pissed and asked her what her problem was. She won’t tell me anything anymore, she just shuts down and changes the subject, the same shit Rachel did before she…” she bit her tongue, _dead_ was still too strong of word. “Before she disappeared.”

Joyce shook her head. “You can’t compare her to Rachel, Chloe. What Max is going through is different from what Rachel was.”

“I know, I know.” She threw her hands up. “Trust me, she made it abundantly clear she didn’t want to be anything like her. She’s never even met her so I don’t know what the hell that was about.” She grumbled.

Joyce batted her on the head. “Well maybe if you stopped to actually think about it in stead of running that mouth of yours you’d understand.”

“Well I don’t damn it.” She huffed and crossed her arms defensively.

“Well how would you feel if you left for five years and came back and found that your best friend had replaced you with someone else?”

“That’s not fair! Was I supposed to just not make any fucking friends after she bailed?”

“That’s not what I’m saying Chloe, I’m telling you to put yourself in her position. Think about everything you said when you first saw her.”

Chloe stiffened. This was a topic that had been thoroughly avoided ever since it happened and she sure as hell didn’t want to drag it up now. It felt like an eternity since that day and Max never once blamed or guilted her for it, she never even brought it up.

_“Chloe...I know how much she meant to yo-“_

_“How the fuck would you know what she meant to me? You’ve been gone for FIVE fucking years Max, you don’t know anything about me, not like she did, not anymore! You just fucking left and she was there to pick up the pieces, the only one who fucking cared and now...now she’s gone like everyone else!”_

_“I-I’m so sorry Chloe....I didn-”_

_“What the fuck are you sorry for Max? Huh? For telling me to fuck off when I needed you the most? Or are you sorry that my ACTUAL best-friend is fucking dead?! I don’t give a shit what you’re sorry for, fuck you! If you’re just going to try and guilt trip me because you got shot then you should have just fucking bled out and saved yourself the trouble.”_

The anxious pit in Chloe’s stomach grew as she remembered each shitty word she spat at her that day.

She swallowed the lump in her throat before she quietly spoke. “She knows I didn’t mean that, I never would have forgiven myself if she’d have died in that shitty bathroom.”

“We all know that hon.” She reached over and placed a hand on her arm. “But the level you compared her to with Rachel is something she won’t so easily forget. And you’re right, she’s never even met her, but that only makes it all the harder.”

“I didn’t even know she felt that way, Max has always been Max and Rachel is just Rachel. They’re not the same and I don’t want them to be. All I wanted was her to open up and just trust me. I hate seeing her look so broken all the time and thinking she’s not good enough.”

“It doesn’t mean she doesn’t trust you sweetheart. Did you ever think maybe she wants _you_ to trust her?”

“I do trust her, God I trust her more than anything, I’m just… I just want to help. I don’t want to lose anyone else.”

“Hon you’ve helped that girl more than you think, more than anyone else could, but you have to let her heal at her own pace. Lord knows it’s a hard thing to do, I’ve wished the same thing with David over the years. I’ve wanted to shake it out of him so many times, what’s hurting him so bad.” She went quiet and stared off for a moment as if chasing a memory. “But you know, I realized it’s not my place to force help on someone. All I can do is love and support em as best I can and be there when they’re ready.”

“Did he ever tell you, about everything I mean?” She asked curiously.

Joyce smiled warmly at the question. “Yes, it’s still an on going process, but something about what happened in that bathroom changed him I think. You and Max have made big impact on him, and so many more people I’m sure.”

She scoffed. “Max has, the only ‘impact’ I’ve ever made on anyone is blunt force trauma at most.”

Joyce snorted. “That shouldn’t be funny, but you’ve always had your fathers weird sense of humor. And I don’t know, you had a pretty big impact on David when you returned that gun.”

Chloe’s head shot up. “That snitch!”

“Oh calm down Chloe, he told me about his side of the ‘deal’ too.” She chuckled. “If you want Max to realize she’s good enough then you need to realize you are too, always have been. You both just suck at seeing it.”

“Language Mother.” Chloe tutted.

“Shush you. That mouth of yours has desecrated this whole conversation, now get out of here so I can get some sleep.” She shooed her and got up from the table.

Chloe snickered and got up as well, feeling a little lighter. Before she walked out of the kitchen she turned and watched her mother washing the coffee cups and smiled to herself.

_Maybe Max was right about this whole talking shit._

She turned back around to the door only to find David standing there. She stepped back startled.

“Jesus you scared the shit out of me, do you just practice lurking or something?”

David looked surprised as well and just shook his head. “So this is where you’ve been.”

She looked up at him lost. “Huh?”

“Max showed up at Blackwell and said she didn’t know where you were.”

Chloe’s eyes widened. “Why the hell is she at Blackwell?”

“Uh, she said she didn’t know where else to go. Beats me.”

“Like hell is she staying there.” Chloe ran around him and bolted out the door towards her truck before anyone could get a word in edgewise.

“Be honest Chloe!” Joyce yelled.

David turned to look at his wife, equally as tired. “Is this usually how girls make up after a fight?”

Joyce shook her head and chuckled. “Not normal girls. Wait, how’d you know they got into a fight?”

David smiled remembering their conversation. “Me and Max had a little chat.”

Joyce sighed. “What a coincidence. Come on, let’s go to bed and trade war stories on the Max and Chloe chronicles.”

//

Chloe’s truck came barreling through the parking lot with little regard for any pedestrians that may or may not be the vicinity. Luckily no one was unfortunate enough to find themselves in her path as she pulled sideways into the nearest parking spot closest to the facility.

“Hey Chloe!” Kate waved cheerily across the lawn. “What are you doing here?”

“Kate! You seen Max around?” Chloe spun around and yelled causing Kate to yelp in surprise.

Chloe giggled. “Sorry Katydid, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Katydid?” Victoria’s shitty judgmental tone cut in as she walked up behind Kate.

Chloe shrugged. “I like nicknames, sue me.”

“You said Max is here?” Kate interjected curiously.

“Yeah, have you seen her anywhere?”

Kate’s face shifted nervously. “Chloe this is sounding a lot like the first time you came here looking for Max.”

“No, no, it’s nothing like that I swear.” She waved her arms. “We just had an argument and I was told she came here.”

It wasn’t a complete lie, it was nowhere near as serious as the first time she came here looking for Max, but there wasn’t any reason they needed the ugly details either.

Victoria raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “Did you two have a lovers quarrel or something disgusting like that?”

“What- no we’re not- uh.. Me and Max aren’t like that ok.” She started shuffling her feet nervously at the unexpected question, feeling the heat creep across her face.

Victoria smirked. “Not with that attitude.”

“Victoria stop teasing her.” Kate scolded as she tapped her lightly on the arm.

She rolled her eyes. “Please, it was a simple question. She’s the one making it painfully obvious. So what did you fuck up this time?”

“I didn’t-” she sighed and rubbed her eyes. “Look it’s not about that. She ran away from _me_ this time ok.”

“Oh? Do tell.” She rested her chin on her palm intrigued. It was just enough Victoria typical bullshit to piss Chloe off.

“Fuck off Victor, it’s none of your business.”

Victoria narrowed her eyes and shot her a glare sharp enough to cut glass.

Chloe smirked. “What? I told you I liked nicknames.”

“You could check the pool.” Kate blurted in a hurried attempt to deflect any further hostility. “I remember seeing her go in there at night from my window a few times. I never found out how she managed to get in there after hours though.” She trailed off pondering her own answer.

It was a good enough suggestion for Chloe as she swooped in suddenly and lifted Kate up in a surprise hug. “Thanks Kate! Fuck you Victoria!” She yelled as she sat her back down and darted off towards the gymnasium.

Kate giggled and yelled back. “Be honest with her Chloe!”

_Both you and mom said the same thing for two completely different reasons._ She chuckled to herself. _I only have enough brain capacity to handle one of those right now though. The other one will have to wait!_

Not that she was chikenshit or anything, it just wasn’t the right time was all….


	16. Let the Dead Lie: Part 3

She sat on the edge of the pool, hugging her knees tightly to her chest, watching the reflections of light bounce off the water and dance across the room in soothing patterns of blue hues.

The gym was quiet as she mulled over everything that had happened throughout the course of the day. Her actions, Chloe’s words, David’s advice. It was a lot to decompress and she was failing miserably to sort through any of it. Her anger had long since dissipated into regret and self loathing. It felt like all that she had worked towards the last few weeks was crumbling at her feet faster than she could pick up the pieces.

**_How long are you going to sit here and pout? I mean, I literally don’t have anything better to do, but man, this is boring as shit._ **

The Other mulled around lazily, floating just above the water. As surreal as it should have been to see herself hovering like Jesus over the over the Sea of Galilee, she didn’t quite have the mental capacity to find it as concerning as she probably should have at the moment.

“Not like I have anywhere else to be.” She simply whispered in reply.

**_What, don’t think your precious little Chloe will let you back in the good old Price Pad?_ **

“I pretty much just shit talked her best friend at her gravesite. I don’t think I’d want to see me if I were her.”

The Other rolled her eyes. **_Please, that needy bitch is desperate for attention. She’d probably just make you grovel or something shitty just to prove to herself she was in the right._**

Max glared at her feet, lacking the motivation to look up, and mumbled irritatedly. “Why are you always so harsh on her? If we’re the same then you should know how much she means to me, to us.”

The Other walked up to Max slowly with a dangerous look in her eyes, her voice taking on a unexpected low warning tone. **_We’re nothing alike Max. I grew up and accepted that there’s more to life than what I want, you didn’t. If you cared about her five years ago as much as you claim to now you wouldn’t even be in this situation to begin with._**

Something about the way she said that caught her attention. It was so unlike anything she had said previously up to that point. Amongst the constant taunting and belittling, this actually sounded as if Max had hit a nerve. Whatever that may have been she couldn’t even begin to guess. She found that irked her even more than her normal bullshit.

“Then stop acting like you know everything about me if we’re so fucking different.” She spat. “I made a huge mistake but I’m doing my best to at least try and make up for it. I’d do anything for her.” She whispered the last bit to herself, though it didn’t go unheard.

**_Exactly, and what has she ever done for you to deserve that? She’s been nothing but a selfish bitch in both timelines. We broke ourselves apart trying to fix her fuck ups and catering to her childish temper tantrums and what did we get for it? A second place trophy to a girl who fucked around behind her back and died because of it._ **

And just like that, her bitter doppelgänger was back to usual banter and Max snapped her head up, getting tired of the incessant belittling.

“Don’t fucking say that! You might be bitter about making the wrong choice but don’t put your bullshit guilt onto me! Rachel didn’t deserve what happened to her, none of those girls did regardless of what kind of people they were.”

**_This isn’t fucking real Max, things can stay like this forever, there’s a balance that has to be met and you bulldozed right through it because you weren’t strong enough to make a fucking choice!_ **

She was cut off by a sudden splash of water from something that resembled a textbook being thrown violently into the pool where Bitch Max was lounging. Max flinched at the unexpected projectile that came flying overhead as Other Max scowled viciously at the interruption. When Max looked back she saw Chloe standing there with an irritated look on her face but otherwise remained quiet.

_Shit, how long has she been listening? How’d she even know I was here?_

Chloe walked over calmly and sat down next to Max and crossed her legs, resting her chin in one hand while the other was absently making lazy circles in the water, eyes fixed on the ripples it created.

They were no more than a few feet away, but it might as well have been a chasm for all the distance Max felt between them. She wanted nothing more than to hug her tight and apologize for everything, but just like at the junkyard, she was weighed down with doubt and fear.

The silence stretched on uncomfortably. Max, choking on the words bubbling in her throat and Chloe, enthralled in the disturbances she was making in the water.

 ** _So are y’all gonna actually say something or just sit here awkwardly all day?_** The Other huffed, annoyed.

Max didn’t respond, she didn’t even look up to acknowledge her. Then out of the corner of her eye she saw Chloe’s hand stop swirling in the water and Max reflexively gulped, anticipating the worst. What she got was a warm hand gently laid over her own.

“I’m sorry.” Came a hushed voice, almost sad if Max had to describe it.

What she assumed was pity in Chloe’s voice lit the still smoldering anger her double had riled up just moments ago. “Please don’t apologize for shit that isn’t you’re fault.”

Chloe shook her head lightly.“I shouldn’t have pushed you like that. It wasn’t fair.” She mumbled sheepishly in a way that reminded her of how they used to make up as children. As endearing as it was, Max knew this wasn’t as simple as it used to be. There wasn’t a reason Chloe should have to concede to a wrong that she didn’t make.

Max scoffed. “Me toying with people’s lives wasn’t fair Chloe. Being forced to choose who lives and dies wasn’t fair. You trying to get me to open up when you’re hurting too isn’t being unfair. You have a right to know things and I’m too fucked up to even give you simple answers, I don’t blame you for getting fed up with me.”

“I shouldn’t have dumped all that shit on you.” She said, her voice taking on a slightly defensive tone. “I brought you out there and tried to force you into talking, so no, that wasn’t fucking fair. And you’re not fucked up-”

“Yes, Chloe, I am!” She said angrily. “I can’t even be there for you when you need me because all my bullshit spills over into everything and I can’t even be honest with you about it because I’m fucking terrified of dealing with it!” She blurted out in an furious mess of words and poorly restrained tears. What should have been a reconciliation had quickly turned into what she had been hoping to avoid. Just another endless circle of blame shifting and misplaced guilt. But what she was most focused on at the moment was the painful truth she had just exposed but had been too scared to admit, most of all to herself; she was terrified.

Judging by the look on Chloe’s face the outburst must have taken her by surprise. For what reason Max couldn’t guess. The reaction it incited wasn’t one she expected though. The girl who was renowned for using volume as a means of both attack and defense suddenly shifted into someone Max wasn’t quite familiar with. Maybe it was pity, maybe it was pure curiosity, but whatever Chloe was seeing in her at the moment made her eyes soften and her hand tentatively reclaimed it’s place over Max’s as she spoke softly.

“What are you scared of Max?”

She was so tired, and something about Chloe’s voice was enough to break the damn she had fought so hard to hold up that she found herself pouring out the words before she could filter through them.

“Everything. That week all happened so fast, I spent majority of it just trying to understand as much as I could as quickly as possible to try and avoid what I knew was coming at the end. I was on a time limit. There was so much at stake that I didn’t have time to fully think about every fucked up thing that happened, I just reacted to every twist and turn. All those buried feelings, all that fear. The closer I get to it, the more terrified I get of what I’ll find.”

“We don’t have to go through all that shit at once Max. Shit, I don’t think _I_ could handle everything in one go, much less make you fucking data dump a week’s worth of trauma in an afternoon over fucking tea and cookies.” She snickered and bumped her shoulder softly, obviously trying to ease some of Max’s anxiety and probably some of her own. It partially worked as Max breathed out a light chuckle of her own through a choked sob.

“Fuck the heavy shit in the past for now ok? Let’s start with the here and now bullshit.”

Max gave a small nod and wiped her face with the back of her free hand at a terrible attempt of trying to composing herself for whatever they were about to ‘start’ with.

Chloe’s grin faded into a simple question. “Were you scared of Rachel?”

 _Fuck. I’d rather talk about literally anything else._ She thought. _I’ve already disrespected the dead enough today._ There was no getting out of it though, they were here and if she didn’t start opening up now then Chloe really might give up on her.

“Yes.” She said simply.

“Tell me why.” It wasn’t a demand, but more of an open encouragement to continue. It reminded her of a clinical question you’d expect at a therapist’s office. The thought of Chloe as a shrink briefly crossed her mind and if she was in a better emotional state she might have giggled about it. This situation was the one she was stuck in though, so she opted for the answer she was afraid to even admit to herself both then and now.

“Because I knew when we found her you’d realize I wasn’t worth keeping around and you’d eventually leave me like I left you.” To her complete un-surprise it hurt worse saying it out loud.

“You really think I’d do that Max?” Chloe’s brow furrowed and she looked at her with an expression that was equal parts hurt and curiosity.

Max sighed. “You told me when you found her that you’d be out of here. I knew when that happened that it would just prove everyone right about how much better than me she was.”

“And you helped me anyways?”

“Of course I did.” She looked at her like that was the stupidest question she’d ever heard, and all things considered, it was. She couldn’t think of much she wouldn’t do for Chloe, even if meant getting hurt. “I knew how important she was to you, and I knew when you finally left that I couldn’t even blame you because I deserve it.” Chloe looked at her for more. “Because it’s what I did to you.”

“Max, that’s-” She huffed out in frustration. “You know why everyone was obsessed with Rachel?” She turned abruptly and looked at her with a fire in her in the eyes. “Because she was witty and smart, beautiful and talented. She could slip into any group of people and fit in flawlessly. She was all the things people wanted but could never have, and once she gave you a taste of her attention, she had you hooked.”

**_You’re not proving your point very well Chloe._ **

They both looked over the water at the other Max, almost forgetting her unwelcome presence in the midst of their conversation, and found her sitting cross legged, hunched over with her head resting in her palm looking painfully bored.

“Shut the fuck up no one’s talking to you.” She glared at Maximum Bitch before turning her attention back to Max. “Max you are so kind and talented and incredibly fucking loyal to the people you care about, to the point you’d sacrifice your own goddamn well-being for someone else’s happiness. Everyone compares you because even though you’re total opposites, you inspire the same things people wish they had but can never be. I’d never trade one of you for the other, because that’s not how life fucking works, and it shouldn’t.” She brushed a stray lock behind her ear and gazed at her so earnestly Max’s heart could have melted. “But I can guarantee that if she was still alive and I had to choose who to follow, it would be you, because for all of Rachel’s charms, she had one major flaw; she was selfish. She had everyone wrapped around her finger, but she chose to use that power over people for her benefit. I mean fuck, she practically had me begging to be expelled. But not you Max. You show people that they’re worth something, and you bust your ass to make them believe it. I’ll always love Rachel for giving me a purpose in life again, even if it was destructive and chaotic, but you’re not her and she’s not you, and don’t for a second think I wish she was.”

By the end of her speech Max was a blubbering mess of tears. To think that Chloe had put so much time and thought into what Max meant to her was probably the most genuine thing anyone had ever said to her. She had long ago resigned herself to just being the wallflower nobody saw or heard and she’d always resented her timid and shy nature, but the way Chloe described her, you’d think she was the Dalia fucking Lama. It reminded her of what Joyce said all those weeks ago.

 _“They were almost joined at the head. Reminded me of you and Chloe... But Rachel wasn't as grounded as you.”_

_“I'm grounded? Since when? Maybe that's why Chloe likes Rachel so much...”_

_“Max Caulfield, are you actually jealous of Rachel?”_

_“Maybe. Rachel was so much cooler than me...”_

_“You think? Then why has Chloe been telling me she wishes she could be more like you over the past five years?”_

Without waiting for a reply Chloe placed a hand on Max’s check and gently wiped her tears with her thumb.

“Please trust me Max, because no matter what you think or what _she’s_ told you, I’m never leaving you, so don’t look so sad.”

Max leaned into the warmth of Chloe’s hand sniffled. “I trust you Chloe, more than anyone. I’m sorry if I made you feel like I didn’t. I’m having a hard time trusting myself, but never you. I never meant for any of this to happen.”

Chloe chuckled. “I don’t think you could have made any of this happen even if you wanted too dude. The universe literally made this shit happen for fuck knows what reason.”

Max leaned forward, resting her forehead on Chloe’s shoulder and sighed. “We suck at this don’t we?”

“That’s literally what Joyce said.” Chloe said under her breath.

Max pulled back in confusion. “Joyce?”

“Ehhh, yeah.” She rubbed her neck sheepishly and looked away. “She’s a lot more perceptive than I give her credit for apparently. Never mind that though, we’ll talk about it later. You look like hell, let’s get out of this chemical hot box and head home.”

Chloe went to get up and looked back at Max when she noticed she wasn’t moving. Max thought hard on what her next step should be and decided that if they were ever going to move forward then she needed to start putting things behind her.

Max looked at Chloe and took a deep breath. “I want you to take me somewhere.”

Chloe raised an eyebrow apprehensively. “No offense, but the last time you told me that you ended up having a PTSD breakdown on a side walk.”

Chloe was right about what she said earlier, there was no way they were going to get through everything in a day, but she needed to take that first step and Max couldn’t think of a better place to start than at the end.

She looked up at Chloe, determined, and shook her head. “This time it’s my choice, not the fucking universe’s.”

The Other watched on silently at the exchange, a knowing smirk playing on her lips before she faded out of sight like a ghostly mirage.

//

They sat on the bench overlooking the gentle cascade of waves against the clear blue sky. The cold salt air sent a shiver down Chloe’s spine as she sat and waited for Max to gather the courage to show her a memory of the past. She had a feeling whatever she was about to see wasn’t just a storm and an impossible decision. Max was putting too much weight on it’s significance for it to be just another part of the story.

_What is she so scared of? Does she think I blame her for choosing the town over me? It was kinda Past Me’s idea anyways so why would she be worried about what I would think?_

Chloe slipped her hand over Max’s without looking up and squeezed it reassuringly.

“You don’t have to do this right now Max.”

Max shook her head. “No, I can’t keep bottling all this shit up. Plus you deserve to know things Chloe. I can’t keep asking you to be patient because I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to share things on my own.”

Chloe looked up. “Ok, just remember, nothing you show me is ever going to change _this_.” She pulled their intertwined hands up between them.

Max nodded and took a deep breath as silence suddenly filled the air. Chloe would never get used to how stale the air felt when time stopped. She always had that primal, instinctual feeling that something unnatural was happening and her body made sure to let her know with chills and goosebumps that made her hair stand every time.

Then, just like the dream she had previously seen, the world started to darken around her as black clouds rolled along the horizon and torrents of rain came whipping around in every direction, only this time it was in complete clarity instead of broken fragments.

The looming vortex over the sea grew into an angry monstrosity and the sheer size and intensity of it took her breath away. It was one thing to read about an apocalyptic storm, but there are somethings the imagination can’t possibly conjure up, and this was like nothing she had ever seen before.

She found herself rooted to the spot completely entranced, whether by fear or awe she couldn’t tell. It was only when she heard the struggling grunts and foot steps approaching up the cliff that she finally managed to break her gaze.

She saw herself drenched in rain carrying an unconscious Max in tow until her legs gave out and she could go no further.

 _“Max? Max, can you hear me? Please, say something.”_

_Chloe shakes her frantically._

_“Chloe? I... I must have passed out... Sorry.”_

_“Oh, thank God... Don't you ever do that again, okay?”_

_“I swear... but that nightmare was so real... was so horrible...”_

_Chloe takes Max's arm and they stand up. Max watches the tornado, her face a mask of utter horror._

_“This is my storm. I caused this... I caused all of this. I changed fate and destiny so much that... I actually did alter the course of everything. And all I really created was just death and destruction!”_ ****

_“Fuck all of that, okay? You were given a power. You didn't ask for it... and you saved me. Which had to happen, all of this did... except for what happened to Rachel. But without your power, we wouldn't have found her! Okay, so you're not the goddamn Time Master, but you're Maxine Caulfield... and you're amazing.”_

Chloe watched the hesitation in her double’s eyes before she turned and retrieved something from her pocket.

_“Max, this is the only way.”_

_Chloe hands Max the photo she took of the blue butterfly as Max looked on in confusion._

_“I feel like I took this shot a thousand years ago.”_

_“You... You could use that photo to change everything right back to when you took that picture... All that would take is for me to... to...”_ ****

_Once the implication of what she was saying sunk in Max tore her gaze from the photo and glared at Chloe for even daring to suggest such a thing._

_“Fuck that! No... no way! You are my number one priority now. You are all that matters to me.”_ ****

_“I know. You proved that over and over again... even though I don't deserve it. I'm so selfish... not like my mom... Look what she had to give up and live through... and she did. She deserves so much more than to be killed by a storm in a fucking diner. Even my step... father deserves her alive. There's so many more people in Arcadia Bay who should live... way more than me...”_

_“Don't say that... I won't trade you.”_

When Chloe heard those words, almost the exact ones she spoke to Max on this cliff weeks ago, it made her heart clinch. She knew this feeling all too well and didn’t even realize it at the time.

 _“You're not trading me. Maybe you've just been delaying my real destiny... Look at how many times I've almost died or actually died around you. Look at what's happened in Arcadia Bay ever since you first saved me. I know I've been selfish, but for once I think I should accept my fate... our fate...”_

_“Chloe...”_

_“Max, you finally came back to me this week, and... you did nothing but show me your love and friendship. You made me smile and laugh, like I haven't done in years. Wherever I end up after this... in whatever reality... all those moments between us were real, and they'll always be ours. No matter what you choose, I know you'll make the right decision.”_

_“Chloe... I can't make this choice...” Max says desperately with tears streaming down her face._

_Past Chloe grabbed Max by the arms gently. “No, Max... You're the only one who can.”_

The look of devastation on Max’s face was an image that would probably stay with Chloe the rest of her life. She watched her stand there, weighing the lives of everyone she loved against each other and with every second that passed a little piece of her seemed to slip away with it, until her time was up.

 _“Max... it's time...”_

_Max looked up her, her eyes still silently pleading for any other option._

_“Chloe... I'm so, so sorry... I... I don't want to do this.”_

_Chloe hugs Max tightly and speaks into her hair._

_“I know, Max. But we have to. We have to save everybody, okay? And you'll make those fuckers pay for what they did to Rachel. Being together this week... it was the best farewell gift I could have hoped for. You're my hero, Max.”_

What happened next made Chloe feel like someone like punched her straight in the heart. Max stepped forward and took her past self’s face gently in her hands and kissed her deeply with everything she had. It was nothing like playful dare she had seen prior. This was heartfelt and desperate. She looked away shortly after the kiss began. It felt like she was intruding on something personal that didn’t belong to her even though she was looking at the spitting image of herself plain as day. The last line in Max’s journal was ringing through her head and finally she understood what it meant.

_Is that the power of friendship... or love?  
I believe you're about to find out, Max Caulfield._

_I guess you found you answer…_ she thought.

Chloe was pulled out of her thoughts by her own broken voice and looked back to find herself pulling away shaking and tear soaked.

 _“I'll always love you... Now, get out of here, please! Do it before I freak. And Max Caulfield? Don't you forget about me...”_

_“Never.”_

_Past Max turned brokenly and stared down at the picture in her hands._

As the scene came to an end Chloe noticed the corners of her vision turn a burnt shade of orange and red and she quickly look over to her Max and found her staring almost in daze as blood was dripping down her nose and chin.

Panicked, Chloe closed the space between them and grabbed Max by the shoulders and gave her a light shake. “Max! Hey look at me, Max! Are you with me?”

Max’s glazed eyes finally focused and she let out a shaky breath before the hold on time finally broke around them. A flood of relief washed over Chloe and she pulled her into a tight embrace as she felt the girl in her arms begin to break down. “I’m so sorry C-Chloe. I almost let you d-die. I a-almost lost you.”

“Shhh, you didn’t lose me Max.” She cooed gently. “I’m right here, you saved me, you saved everyone. It’s ok.”

Her only response was sniffles and pitiful whimpers that made Chloe’s heart break. They stayed like that for a long time, Chloe holding her and whispering soft reassurances until Max’s shaking began to subside and she felt a shift in weight. Power strain and exhaustion had finally taken its toll as Max’s legs finally buckled under her. Chloe held her tight and eased her to the ground.

She looked down at the girl in her arms, covered in blood and tears that she’d been forced to shed countless times, that she should never have been forced to shed in the first place, and let the meaning of it all sink in.

_It wasn’t just about me was it? Do you sacrifice your whole world, or everyone else’s? Fuck Max, how could anyone possibly be worth all that? Why are you the only one who doesn’t get to be happy either way?_

She brushed her hair out of her face and wiped some of the blood off her nose and chin with an old tissue in her pocket in an attempt to clean her up as best she could.

She was a tear and blood stained freckled hipster with messy hair in generic brand jeans and t-shirt, and Chloe realized she had never felt stronger about anyone in her entire life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this closes my three part angst fest. Things are about to get a little fluffier and I’m pretty excited about it. 
> 
> As to why this was delayed so fucking long when I told you all you’d get all three parts in one week.... Well, life isn’t very kind at the moment, but I’m not going to bore you with the sad details lol so my garbage “I’m sorry” will just have to suffice. 
> 
> Till next time!  
> :P


	17. Cheater

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

Twenty three hours. That’s how long Max had been unconscious from the time she’d passed out at the lighthouse. It was around eleven-thirty in the morning and Max was still dead to the world in a slumber that could rival any one of Chloe’s many hangover days. It would probably be more disconcerting if it wasn’t for the fact that Max was a literal human time machine, and it’s not like she exactly came equipped with an instruction manual for this shit. Lots of sleep was the cure for everything right?

_To guarantee lasting results, make sure to rest your Max after extended use or your warranty may may be void._

Chloe chuckled softly to herself as she watched Max’s chest rise and fall in a calming rhythm. She was still pale, far too pale for Chloe’s liking, but that’s to be expected when someone as small as Max loses blood like a broken fucking faucet for half a day. Still, despite her frailty, Chloe couldn’t think of anyone more beautiful. So many things had clicked into place for Chloe on that cliff.

Watching Max brave a storm and struggle under the weight of the universe’s cruel ultimatum. Then piecing it all together by realizing Max had basically told it to go fuck itself and took a bullet to spare a girl and ultimately a whole town before Chloe even knew the real meaning behind it all. She’d never wanted to kiss someone so badly in her entire life than at that moment, but it wasn’t right. That was their moment, not hers.

Chloe sighed to herself and rolled out of bed begrudgingly to finish some last minute prep before Max eventually woke up from her mini coma. She had some interesting things planned for Max today whether she knew it or not.

Was it impulsive? Sure, but she’d had since yesterday afternoon to get things together so she liked to think of it as more of a ‘calculated’ impulsiveness. Still madcap, but at least it sounded better.

//

Max’s eyelids flitted open slowly, still filled with sleep and slightly swollen. Her body felt like a rock as she stretched the stiffness out of her muscles. When she finally got her faculties to a functioning level she looked around a little dazedly taking in her surroundings. She looked over at the clock on the old beer crates next to the bed and almost choked on her yawn when she saw what time it was.

“Twelve thirty! Holy shit how long have I been out?” She muttered to herself.

She laid back flat on the bed and stared at the ceiling trying to recall what time she went to bed. When it all started coming back to her she covered her eyes with the heel of her palms.

_Well that happened. Shit.._

She didn’t remember Chloe’s reaction to what happened on the cliff. She was so focused on the moment, feeling every word that was exchanged between them cut a little deeper, and then, nothing at all. She assumed that must have been when she passed out.

She sighed and sat up with a struggle. Her body felt slightly heavier than normal despite the amount of rest she’d had. She moved sluggishly off the bed, grabbed some clothes and went to freshen up in the bathroom. Once there she saw the clothes she had worn yesterday piled unceremoniously in a bloody heap on the floor. She looked down at her sleep clothes as if needing verification that she was, in fact, stripped down and cleaned up by Chloe at some point.

She turned around and planted her head against the door with a groan as she felt herself blushing furiously.

_Cool, show your crush how you kissed them, sacrificed them and then make them carry you down a cliff, bleed on them and have them strip you down and carry you to bed. Yup, definitely a lady killer Max._

She sighed deeply and peeled herself from the innocent door and started getting dressed. However freaked out Chloe was wasn’t going away by prolonging the situation so Max quickly finished her morning routine to face whatever awaited her down stairs. Assuming Chloe hadn’t already bolted that is.

Max braced herself and descended down the stairs and made her way into the kitchen. What she found wasn’t what she was expecting. Chloe was leaned against the counter munching on a piece of bacon as she scrolled through her phone absentmindedly.

Max cleared her throat. “Uh, good morning?”

Chloe looked up surprised. “Well damn Max, just wake up when you feel like it.” She chuckled. “How you feelin?”

Max grabbed her arm nervously. “Pretty good actually, just a little sluggish I guess.”

“Well, sit that bony ass down and I’ll bring you something to eat.” She turned to the breakfast laid out on the stove and began making a plate.

“I can get it Chloe don’t worry with that.”

“Nope, you’ll put like a piece of toast on the plate and call it a day. You bled like a mother fucker yesterday and you need to eat.” She pointed to the table with a spatula. “Now go sit.”

“Fine.” Max rolled her eyes but couldn’t help but smile. Chloe didn’t seem to be acting much different than usual so she took that as a good sign and did what she was told.

When Chloe brought the plate to her she gawked at it. “Chloe I can’t eat all this.”

“You can try, now get started hippie we have things to do.”

Max shoved some bacon in her mouth and found herself surprisingly more hungry than she had thought. “Like what exactly?”

Chloe smirked. “You’ll see. I’m going to smoke so come get me when you’re done.” She ruffled Max’s hair as she walked past and headed out to the backyard.

Max was a little confused at everything and was a little unnerved at how Chloe hadn’t even breached the topic of yesterday’s events aside from the acknowledgment that she had lost a lot of blood. She didn’t even seem like it had phased her in the slightest. Max did her best not to dwell on it and instead focused on trying to finish the ridiculous amount of food Chloe had placed before her. She made a good dent, but as she expected, didn’t finish it.

After throwing the rest away and cleaning up her mess, she walked to the back door and found Chloe sitting on the old swing cigarette in hand, scrolling through her phone intently again.

 _Wonder what’s so interesting._ Max thought as she made her way over and took a seat next to her.

“Holy shit that was a lot of food Chloe.” She groaned.

“It was lovingly crafted by yours truly.” She placed a hand on her chest dramatically.

Max snorted. “Joyce is going to be pissed that the kitchen queen used up a whole pack of bacon though.”

Chloe scoffed theatrically. “A mere minor detail my dear Maxine. Plus I’m hoping to be the fuck out of here by the time she wakes up.” She snickered.

Max smiled and caught herself getting lost in Chloe’s good mood. She always had a way of dragging you into her feelings just by sheer proximity. The way she shined was always one of Max’s favorite things about being her friend. As long as Chloe was smiling, Max never had to worry about a bad day.

“See something you like Caulfield?” She raised an eyebrow and smirked.

Max chuckled. “Just taking a picture. The sunlight accentuates your punk blue nicely.”

“Well instead of staring like a creep you could, ya know, take an actual picture ya dork.”

Max’s smile faltered for a moment and she looked forward again. “I’ll just use my memory for now I think.”

//

Chloe’s face scrunched up in confusion and then she realized she hadn’t seen Max take a single picture since she reunited with her.

_Actually I haven’t even seen her with a camera in her hand since the bath…room…. Oh…. Oh shit._

“Fuck!” She shot up, eliciting a small yelp of surprise from Max in the process.

“Uh, Chloe are you-”

“Be right back!” Chloe cut her off and ran inside, darting up the stairs taking two at a time as she made her way up to her room. Once in her room she rummaged around her shelves until her hands found their prize.

“Ah ha!” She yelled in victory and raised the camera above her head triumphantly.

She made her descent down the stairs a little more cautiously than her ascent. Wouldn’t do any good to fall and break the damn thing before she even had a chance to give it to Max in the first place. Once she reached the bottom step she quickened her pace to the door, promptly opening it and dashing across the yard without bothering to shut it behind her until she found herself in front of Max who still had the same dumbstruck expression she left her with.

She huffed out of breath leaning forward on her knees holding the camera out to Max with one hand. “Dude… I totally…. forgot… Ah, I really need… to stop….smoking”

Max’s eyes widened in surprise, looking between Chloe and the camera, until she tentatively reached out to grab it. Chloe watched her hold it gently, like she was afraid it was going to jump out and bite her until her expression turned wistful in appreciation, like she was meeting an old friend for the first time in ages.

“Chloe, you didn’t have to do that.” She smiled gently. “Are you sure?”

“Hell yeah I’m sure. You aren’t Max Caulfield unless you have a camera attached to you. Why didn’t you bring it up sooner? You know I would’ve given it to you, I already did once remember?”

“It wasn’t my place to ask, this is yours and Williams. And I..” She bit her lip worriedly. “ I don’t really know if I deserve it anymore, not after everything I’ve done to you and… and him.” She clenched her jaw angrily. “Photos are supposed to be art. They bring people joy, and memories. They tell history and capture all the little details of life through someone else’s eyes. And I- what the fuck did I do? I destroyed lives and manipulated people. I used it like some cheap tool to fix mistakes I could have avoided by not being such a coward in the first place.”

“Stop it Max.” She said sternly. “You can’t keep blaming yourself for shit that’s in the past. You didn’t ask for any of this to happen, and you only used what you had at your disposal to try and help everyone else. I would have done the same thing if I was in your shoes, about trying to save my dad I mean. I would have gone back in a heartbeat, I don’t blame you for that and I’m sure he wouldn’t either.”

Max looked down solemnly at the camera in her hands, conflict masking her face. Still kneeling in front of her, Chloe covered Max’s hands with her own and gave them a light squeeze until Max looked up at her.

“You don’t have to use it if you’re not ready Max, but it’s yours and I want you to keep it okay?” She gave her a reassuring smile.

Max nodded. “Thank you Chloe.”

“You’re welcome Maximum guilt trip. Now come on, we have places to see and people to do.”

Max let out a slight chuckle. “Now where have I heard that before?”

“If it wasn’t from me then it doesn’t matter. Move your ass hippie!” She tugged on her hands impatiently.

“Okay, okay! What’s so special about today anyways?” She asked while being dragged off the swing.

“That’s for me to know and you to deal with.” She said matter of factly.

Max rolled her eyes. “Lead the way Captain Impulsive.”

“ _Calculated_ Captain Impulsive.” She corrected. “It sounds better.”

Max snorted. “What does that even mean?”

_That I’m about to blow your mind Caulfield. Or blow a hole in what’s left of my self esteem…. Please let it be the first one…._

//

Max hopped in the truck and buckled her seatbelt. She might have slept for almost a full day, but the speed at which Chloe was moving made her feel like she had just rolled out of bed. Her head was still a little fuzzy, but she couldn’t deny the fact that Chloe’s enthusiasm was a little contagious. Seeing her so giddy and full of life made her heart skip. It honestly didn’t matter what they did today if it meant feeling like this.

“You’re staring again Caulfield.” She raised an eyebrow but otherwise kept her eyes on the road.

Max felt the blush forming on her cheeks and turned away quickly, clearing her throat. “Just wondering why you’re so peppy today is all.”

_Peppy? What the fuck?_

Chloe giggled. “I’m a peppy fucking punk, sue me.”

 _Check yourself before you wreck yourself Max._ She mentally groaned.

Max’s attention was abruptly brought back to her surroundings as she watched the Arcadia Bay sign fly past them as they continued north.

Her eyes followed it until she watched it shrink in the distance behind them and she turned her attention back to Chloe. “Chloe, where are we going?”

“It’s probably going to be a little disappointing so don’t get your hopes up.” She smirked and glanced sideways at her.

Max furrowed her brow in confusion. “If it’s disappointing then why are we going there exactly?”

Chloe smirked. “You’ll see, just relax and let good ol’ Chloe take care of the rest.” She patted Max’s knee patronizingly.

“That’s…. Concerning, but okay, onward to disappointment I suppose.” Max chuckled nervously.

The ride was peaceful and calming. Watching the trees and buildings pass by was almost therapeutic as the music played in the background. She thought she’d have more to decompress after what happened yesterday, but honestly she felt more at peace than she had in a long time. It made her think of what David had said, and how strange it felt to admit that he might have actually been right for once.

The only thing that gave her mind pause was Chloe’s lack of comment on everything that she had seen. Max knew Chloe wasn’t the kind of person to just clam up when a bomb like that was dropped. It might be awkward as fuck to talk about it, but the anxiety of not knowing was even worse. This spur of the moment trip to mysteryville only added to her confusion.

She tried not to dwell too much on doubts that might break this welcome respite and instead focused on the world passing her by. It felt like an eternity since she had last left Arcadia Bay and the further they got, the lighter she felt.

As they drove on she’d try and guess where they could be going based on the road signs. At first she thought Portland, but as the exit passed them by she was back to guessing. They had been driving for maybe an hour and a half and were almost to Astoria at the border of Washington. She didn’t give it much thought until the signs for Seattle started getting more frequent and then anxiety started to creep in.

 _Wait, she couldn’t be taking me…. She wouldn’t take me back to my parents would she?_ Her heart rate increased and her mind reeled through possible reasons she would spring this on her so suddenly. _Fuck, did she call my mom when I passed out yesterday? But Chloe wouldn’t just up and transplant me just because someone told her to, she’d talk to me about it first. Shit, maybe yesterday freaked her out more than she’s letting on, what if she decided she can’t handle this anymore?_

“ax… Ma… Hey Max.”

“Huh?” Max looked over and found Chloe glancing at her with a look of concern.

“Dude, are you ok? You look kinda freaked.”

“Chloe, are you taking me back to Seattle?” She asked in a shaky voice.

“What? Uh, no? Seriously what’s up?”

Max could feel the truck start to slow down as Chloe stared at her intently. “Nothing, I just- I was worried that maybe you were taking me back to my parent’s house.”

“Why the hell would I do that? Your mom would probably chain you to the basement if I brought you back.” She gave a nervous laugh then promptly stopped when she realized Max wasn’t joking. “Hey, did you really think I was taking you back there?”

Max let out a breath of relief and tried to calm her nerves. “I thought maybe…” Max shook her head. “It’s nothing, I just got worried for a minute.”

Chloe slowed the truck more and pulled off on the side of the road and put it in park. “Hey, tell me what’s up. I know you well enough that nothing is ever just nothing with you. Talk to me.” She nudged her shoulder gently.

Max bit her lip nervously. “I got scared that maybe… maybe you were taking me back because this was all too much?” Her voice sounded smaller than she liked and she felt like shrinking into her seat under Chloe’s gaze.

“What? Max I’d never just load you up and dump you off somewhere because I was tired of dealing with you. You’re not some pet that needs a new home.” She reached over and took her hand into hers. “I didn’t mean to stress you out, I just thought it’d be fun to make the day a surprise. I’ll tell you where we’re going if it’ll make you feel better.”

Max shook her head. “No, no I trust you Chloe, I just got lost in my head for a minute. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make you worry.”

“Don’t apologize Maxi, if something’s fucking with you then I _want_ you to tell me. And I’m glad you trust me, cause you sure as hell aren’t getting away from me that easy.” She chuckled. “And I’ll give you hint and tell you we’re almost there.”

Max squeezed her hand a little tighter and looked up at Chloe’s smiling face. It immediately relieved the anxiety she had built up and she started to relax again. Chloe winked and pulled out of her grasp to put the truck back in drive and pulled back out onto the highway. Once they were back on the road, Chloe quickly replaced her hand in Max’s. Chloe didn’t look over, but Max thought she could make out light blush peeking underneath her sunglasses.

As they crossed the Astoria-Megler Bridge into Washington, Max gazed over the ocean as the sunlight reflected off the waves. She couldn’t remember ever coming this way since they had usually traveled through Portland to get to or from Arcadia Bay. It was beautiful and she made a mental note to tell her parents about this route next time they travelled down. At the end of the bridge was where the highway diverged. To the right was Highway 401 that led to Seattle. They took a left and continued on 101 much to Max’s relief.

They must have been getting close from what Max could gather if Chloe bouncing in her seat was any indication. Max kept looking out the window for any sign of whatever spectacular thing had sparked this impromptu road trip but was still left speculating. As they got closer to a town called Ilwaco, the forest gradually got thicker as the road wound around the small harbor town until eventually there was no town at all, just lush forest as far as the eye could see. In the distance she could faintly make out what looked like a sign and as they got closer Chloe was all but cackling until Max could finally make out what it said.

“Cape Disappointment?” Max snorted at how ridiculous this all seemed all the sudden.

“Yeah, cause you know, if this sucks then you can’t even be surprised about it.”

“Seriously Chlo, what are we doing here? If we drove all the way here just for you to make a pun then you’ve reached a new level.”

Chloe laughed. “No you dork, we’re going camping.”

“Camping?” Max was temporarily dumbfounded and caught completely off guard. All her worries and internal strife vanished. “I didn’t even bring any clothes cause you were all mysterious about where we were going.”

Chloe pulled into the parking spaces at the edge of the camping section and rolled her eyes as she put the truck in park. “Just get out of the damn truck Max.”

Max narrowed her eyes suspiciously for a moment, gave a disbelieving chuckle and did as she was told. She walked around the front of the truck to the driver’s side and waited for Chloe to stretch and let out an obnoxiously loud groan.

“Ahhhh, that feels better. Now come help hippie.”

Max smiled and shook her head as she followed Chloe to the bed of the truck. She pulled out a small backpack and handed it over to Max who looked at it curiously for a moment before unzipping it. “Oh.” She said as she rummaged around and found some of her clothes amongst it’s contents. She glanced up and watched Chloe pull out a larger pack that looked like it was meant for actual hiking. “How did I not notice this back here before we left?” She asked out loud but more to herself.

Chloe laughed as she adjusted her shoulder straps. “Max, for such a nosy person you are one of the most oblivious people I’ve ever met in my life.”

“Hey, I notice things.” Max pouted and crossed her arms. “Just, not all the time.”

Chloe rolled her eyes and smiled. “Or hardly anytime.”

“Asshole.” She whined. “And I’m not _that_ nosy.”

Chloe snickered. “Stop pouting and put your backpack on, we’re on a schedule and since _someone_ decided to be sleeping beauty today, we’re late.”

“Late for what exactly?” Max asked as she pulled her backpack across her shoulders. “And why are you carrying all the stuff? That looks heavy as shit, I can carry more than this Chloe.”

“Nope, you’re still pale as shit and the last thing I need is you falling out. It’s not that heavy mini Max, now stop asking questions and follow me.”

As they made their way to the head of the trail Chloe was leading them to, Max looked around and breathed in the crisp air, taking in the serene atmosphere.

_You’d think if you’ve seen one forest you’ve seen them all, but this place is beautiful. I wonder if this is what people who’ve never been to Arcadia Bay feel like for the first time?_

Chloe kept their pace light and looked back every so often to make sure Max was still behind her. Chloe’s petulant side was a force to be reckoned with, but her protective side was something Max had always found endearing.

“So where are we camping at exactly?” Max asked.

“If I’m correct in my estimates we should be a little less than a mile away. We’ve come too close to spoil the surprise now.”

“Chloe this whole day has been a surprise.” She laughed.

“A good one I hope?” She sounded a little nervous so Max figured she’d poke some fun and let he know that she really had enjoyed herself.

“Well it’s not a total disappointment yet.”

Chloe groaned. “We’re gonna beat these jokes to death by the end of this I swear.”

Max chuckled. “Now who’s fault is that?”

“Yeah yeah, eat it Caulfield.”

She let her mind get lost in the tranquility of the forest. Staring up at the trees that seemed to go on forever. Catching glimpses of wildlife as they went about their lives, oblivious to world and all its troubles. More than once she felt her finger itch to take a photo. It wasn’t something she had thought too much about the past few weeks, but ever since Chloe had given her William’s camera earlier, it crossed her mind more and more frequently.

She had brought it along, even though she didn’t think she’d be able to use it anytime soon. Maybe just having it brought a small comfort, knowing it would be there if ever she felt strong enough to use it again. The thought made her smile and she decided that would be good enough for now.

She lost track of time as they walked trail and found herself completely immersed in all the sights and sounds, so much so that when Chloe finally slowed their pace Max almost barreled into her. She snapped out of her daydreaming and saw Chloe veer to the right onto a smaller trail that branched off at a slightly steeper incline.

They didn’t walk far before they came up to a small sign dangling from a thin piece of rope that spanned the width of the trail, blocking their path. With Chloe blocking her view she was only able to make out a few words at first glance, but the words _Coast Guard_ and _Prohibited Area_ were enough to fill in the pieces. Before she even had a chance to comment on it Chloe had already stepped over the rope and continued on like it was no more than a tree branch in her way.

“Chloe this is trespassing!” Max whispered loudly. “And on federal property, have you lost your mind?”

“Oh, please. It’s a Wednesday Max, there’s not even anyone around here to catch us. And if they were that worried about it then they’d have put up a fence or some shit, not some string and piece of paper with a warning typed in comic fucking sans. Who in the actual fuck do they think is gonna take this seriously?” Chloe rolled her eyes and threw her hand out accusingly at the sad warning sign.

“Me, Chloe. I take this seriously!” Max whispered harshly.

“Look.” Chloe crouched down and put her hands on Max’s shoulders. “I wouldn’t have brought you here if I planned on getting us in trouble. Plus it’s too late to turn back unless you wanna rough it through the night off the trail, which I’m pretty sure is against the rules too. At least this way we’ll be off the path and no one will see us.” Chloe pleaded.

She was using that face she knew Max always fell for and Max was pissed that it was still proving as effective as it did five years ago. For whatever reason, Chloe had gone out of her way to bring her here and she seemed pretty excited about it. Not only that, but Max really had enjoyed herself thus far. She internally sighed.

_Well, she has a point about trying to go back I guess. Better to camp somewhere off the main path in case someone does happen to come through here. Ughhh how is she always so good at setting me up?_

“Okay, fine, you win. Lead the way to my first felony arrest.” Max groaned and threw her hands up in defeat.

Chloe’s face immediately broke out into a goofy grin as she fist pumped the air. “Yes!”

“Shush you!” Max quickly covered Chloe’s mouth. “You’re gonna get us caught before we even get… wherever the hell were going!”

Chloe stuck her tongue out and grabbed Max’s hand. “Then let’s get going dork.”

Max grimaced at having her hand licked took one last look behind her to make sure no one was watching before she hesitantly followed Chloe down the deep sloping trail on the other side of comic sans warning sign. She glared at it as she passed.

_Why couldn’t you have looked more fucking official? At least then I would’ve had a fighting chance against this blue haired anarchist._

She was glad Chloe had taken her hand as they made their way down the steep winding path. She was so focused on watching her footing that she didn’t think she would have enough coordination to even attempt this on her own. She sure as shit hoped Chloe knew where she was going because Max hadn’t looked up since they started their descent.

After what seemed a lot longer than it probably was, she felt Chloe slow down in front of her causing her to collide softly into her back. Chloe turned around and steadied her with a huge smile plastered on her face.

“We’re here!”

Once Max’s feet were settled on flat ground again, she stood up straight and released her hold on Chloe. As Chloe backed up Max let her eyes wander around their destination and it all but took her breath away.

Chloe spun around excitedly. “Welcome to Dead Man’s Cove!”

The name didn’t do the place justice in the slightest. It was beautiful. A hidden beach nestled between high cliffs on both sides. The water was a dark shade of turquoise and in the center of the cove just off the edge of the beach was a tiny island with a single tree growing in the center. But what gave the place the final touch was the perfect sunset casting red and orange rays through the cliffs and mist, silhouetting the lone tree.

“So what does my first mate think of her captain’s secret cove?” Chloe asked with excitement and a hint of nervousness in her voice.

“Chloe this- this is unbelievable.” She let out an airy laugh.

_Fuck the comic sans warning sign, this might be worth the felony._

Chloe beamed at Max’s approval. “Ha! Score for Calculated Captain Impulsive! And we made it in time for the sunset too!”

“So that’s why we were in such a hurry today? Chloe how did you know this was even here?”

Chloe shrugged. “The internet.”

Max laughed breathlessly and shook her head in disbelief. “So, out of all the things we could have done, why this?” She gestured around them.

Chloe’s eyes softened. “Because I knew you needed a break and to get the hell out of Arcadia Bay for a while. You’ve been surrounded by nothing but shit memories since you woke up in the hospital Max. I just figured, why not run away for a little bit and make some new ones ya know?”

Max could feel her eyes watering and she fought to hold them back as she pulled Chloe in tightly. “Thank you Chloe, this has been one of the best days I’ve had since I moved back from Seattle.” She sniffled.

Chloe wrapped her arms around her tightly and let out a sigh of relief. “I’m sorry again if I stressed you out on our way here. I just thought a pirate adventure would be fun.”

Max pulled back and looked up at Chloe with a smile on her face. “It was, I just got caught up in my head is all, I need to work on that.” She chuckled softly.

Chloe looked back at her with understanding eyes that made Max feel like she could see straight through her as she gently brushed a stray lock behind her ear. “We will.”

After a beat too long Chloe cleared her throat nervously and backed away. “Come on, let’s go explore while the sun’s still up.”

Max nodded dumbly, her brain still trying to catch up as she waited for her heart to dislodge its self from her throat.

Chloe smiled and walked towards the beach as Max looked on. The sunset was at it’s perfect peak along the horizon. The sky was lit up and the cove was filled with golden rays that played with the reflections off the turquoise waters and the shadows cast from the little island. The wind was clam and the salt in the air played on her senses and out of pure instinct Max pulled the camera out of her bag, looked through the view finder and held it at the ready.

When she realized what she had done she felt that familiar edge of anxiety make its way in the pit of her stomach and felt a small tremor run through her hands. Her breathing quickened and just before she went into full blown panic, she saw Chloe. Her mind went quiet and for a brief moment all her fears washed away. Chloe turned around, her blue hair lit up by the sky, her body framed perfectly by the cliffs and she gave the most beautiful smile she had ever seen, and without another though Max took the shot.

The flash took Chloe by surprise and she stared on as if working through some highly complex equation in that blue head of hers. Then her eyes widened as she came back to reality and she ran over to Max excitedly.

“Lemme see, lemme, see!” She reached out as Max attempted to hold the picture away unsuccessfully.

“You have to let it develop Chlo!” She whined in protest as Chloe snatched it away and stared at it intently with the goofiest of grins plastered on her face.

“Well I get to see it first so no peeking Caulfield!” She cried as she retreated from Max’s failed recovery attempts.

Max groaned. “Ughh, you’re such a brat.”

Chloe stuck her tongue out sideways as she focused on the picture. Her smile gradually faded though and Max walked up to her confused. “Uh, did it not come out good?”

“It’s amazing Max.” She whispered and handed over for her to see.

She was right, it might have been one of the best pictures Max had ever taken actually. The lighting and framing were perfect, but what she couldn’t tear her eyes away from was Chloe, and how beautiful and happy she looked in that one moment.

Max glanced up and caught Chloe looking at her curiously with a light blush on her face, no doubt from being the center of attention in the photo.

Max smiled and placed the photo in her bag carefully. “I’ll name it _A Captain and her Cove._ ”

Chloe giggled. “I was think more along the lines of _Fuck Comic Sans._ ”

Max snorted. “How very abstract and thought provoking, I’ll consider it.”

“Well, while you consider my genius I’m gonna scrounge up some firewood before it gets any darker. Think you can manage to set the tent up?” She smirked.

“Well my humble mediocrity might not level up to a genius of your stature but I think I can manage that meager task.”

“We shall see Maxi.” Chloe snickered as she turned around to gather wood.

Max went back to their packs where the edge of the beach met with the forest and began unpacking. She actually found herself surprised at how well Chloe had packed and prepped for this. She set up the tent with little issue and laid out their sleeping bags taking care not to get too much sand in the tent as possible.

Once she was satisfied she scanned the beach and found Chloe trudging slowly to camp with a mountain of drift wood piled in her arms slightly past her chin. For a brief moment she thought about going and helping her but then a more amusing idea came to mind.

She quickly got up and ran over to a few large rocks just on the right side of the tent and ducked down, waiting patiently for her prey.

 _Payback’s a bitch Chloe._ She thought as she smirked mischievously to herself.

Soon she heard the familiar grunts of frustration and the sound of impractical boots trudging through the sand.

“Hey Max, can I get a little help here?” Chloe said through grunts as she got closer. Max cautiously glanced around the side of the boulder and saw Chloe struggle to look around over the stack of wood in her arms. “Max?”

Once her back was turned Max darted from the rocks keeping low until she got right behind her and grabbed her in the sides followed by her yelling loudly. “BOO-HOO!”

“MOTHER FUCKIN’ SHIT!” Chloe screamed as she flung all the drift wood she was carrying.

“Get it? Boo Hoo? Like I’m a sad ghost hipster.” Max wiggled her fingers, trying to fight the laughter bubbling in her throat.

“What the hell Max! You scared the shit out of me!” Chloe clutched her chest and glared, trying to catch her breath. She was trying to put on a pissed face, but Max could see her fighting a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

Max giggled hysterically. “God that was great, and so long over due.”

“You’re a little shit Caulfield, and hella corny.” She finally let loose a chuckle.

“I took a page from your book on that one Chloe Price, so if I’m corny then so are you.”

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“Watch and see.” She smiled and brought the moment to life.

_Max walks along the path at the main campus just past Principal Wells’ residence, searching quietly for Chloe._

_Chloe creeps out of the shadows and jumps out at an unsuspecting Max. “BOO-YAH!”_

_Max clutches her chest and stumbles backwards in shock._

_“Get it? BOO YAH? Like I'm a scary punk ghost...”_

_“More like scary punk asshole!”_

“Damn. That was a good one.” Chloe looked slightly disappointed in not getting first dibs.

“Well I didn’t find it amusing at the time, but I appreciate it more in hindsight.” As she let time flow freely she felt a slight head rush and stumbled a little trying to catch her footing.

Chloe reached out immediately and shifted her weight, saving Max from busting her ass in the sand.

“Hey, no more time fuckery for a while.” She looked on worriedly. “Just us tonight, no past or future bullshit okay?”

“Uh, yeah. Sorry.” Max shook her head and tried to get her balance back.

“You don’t need to apologize, I just want you to take it easy for a while, you lost a lot of blood yesterday Max.”

Max nodded. “Okay, I think I’m good now.”

“Come on, let’s go have a seat Pete.” She said as she hooked her arm around Max’s waist and led her to one of the rocks she had hidden behind. “Sit down while I try not to set myself on fire.”

//

It didn’t take long to get the fire going and it was perfect timing as the sun had gone down just moments before Chloe had it blazing.

_I guess running away from home all those times gave me some type of survival skills at least._

She wiped her hands on her jeans and leaned against the rock next to Max as the fire slowly began warming them from the late fall chill. They sat in comfortable silence, listening to the crackle of the fire and distant cascade of waves on the beach as the moon slowly started peeking through the trees behind them.

“Why is this called Dead Man’s Cove exactly?” Max spoke, breaking the silence.

Chloe tapped her chin inquisitively. “Well I’m not a historian or anything, but I’d bet money that there were dead men in this cove at some point.”

Max chuckled and nudged her shoulder playfully. “Gee thanks for the history lesson Professor Price.”

“Anytime Maximum Curiosity.” She smirked.

As they began to chat Chloe couldn’t help but notice how much lighter Max seemed. She was relieved that her whimsical scheme to drag her out here hadn’t been a failure.

They talked about anything and everything. Things they had done while the other was away, all the little interests they had picked up through the years that had shaped them into who they are today.

It was weird. They’d been living together for weeks but for some reason this really felt like the first time they’d gotten to really catch up and just enjoy each other’s company. Everything felt so light and calm as they joked and recalled stories both old and new.

Chloe had asked a lot of questions about Blackwell and a few things from the week that never was. Nothing too deep or personal. Max had told her strange things she’d found out about students Chloe knew of, and brought up a few of her past self’s dumber moments at the expense of Chloe’s pride.

Watching Max laugh made Chloe’s heart skip on multiple occasions and made her think long and hard on just how far she was willing to push things tonight.

_This whole day was already a risk, no sense in stopping now. Might as well see where it takes me._

She waited for a lull in the conversation and tried to keep her expression neutral and not ‘freaking the fuck’ out as much as possible.

“So about this dare…” Chloe hummed thoughtfully, testing the waters of the subject.

Even in the low light of the fire Chloe could see Max’s blush. “You cheated your way into that one Chloe Price, you know I never back down from a dare.” She chuckled nervously. “Especially the oh so sacred double dare.”

Chloe was silent for a moment before she continued. “And what about the second time?”

Max froze and stared into the fire quietly. Chloe began to worry she had fucked up and was about to back track to try and salvage the situation when Max suddenly answered. “The second time... was because I really wanted to.” Her voice faded into a whisper.

“Is that why you waited so long to show me?”

Max nodded slowly and fidgeted a bit but didn’t say anything more.

Chloe swallowed hard and braced herself for her next question. “Do you still want to?” She asked quietly.

Part of her was afraid of the answer. She knew how Max felt about the other Chloe, and yeah, they were essentially the same person, but she didn’t get to experience all the things that made Max fall for her in the beginning. The opposite actually. She had royally fucked up their second meeting, and she couldn’t help but wonder if Max wished she was the old Chloe instead. It was a thought that had been eating at her for a while.

Max, however, was completely caught off guard at the question. “I….” She turned and searched Chloe’s eyes intently, cautiously. “I don’t want to mess this up Chloe, I just got you back.”

Chloe thought for a moment. That was a vague enough answer that could hide any number of meanings, but she needed to know for sure, and without putting too much pressure on Max in case her feelings really had changed. After some deliberation only one solution came to mind.

“Ok, let me put this another way.” Chloe whispered softly. “I dare you to stop me.”

She leaned in slowly, giving Max ample time to back away, until their foreheads rested together, eyes locked on each other the whole time. When she was positive Max wasn’t going anywhere, she leaned in and softly brought their lips together. She felt Max take in a sharp breath before their lips met, but then quickly relax as she let herself melt into the kiss. It was sweet and gentle, but nothing had ever felt so intense in her life. All doubts and inhibitions washed away for one perfect moment and was replaced with a warmth that she never wanted to let go of.

When the kiss finally broke they both let out a shaky breath that filled the cold air between them as they stared at each other intently. Chloe quickly realized that the scary part wasn’t taking the leap, but the unknown of what came after, and staring into those blue eyes that held her heart was as fucking terrifying as it was beautiful.

But then Max began to raise her right hand and Chloe panicked.

“Chloe-”

“Please.” She grabbed her hand quickly as she cut her off. “Even if I’m not the Chloe you want, that’s fine, just…. Please don’t take this away, let me keep it.”

The desperation in her voice made her feel pathetic, but if it meant she could keep this one memory then she didn’t even care.

Max tilted her head slightly in confusion, searched her eyes trying to find an answer to a silent question. Finding none, she finally spoke after what felt like an eternity.

“What do you mean the Chloe I want?”

Chloe bit her lip, feeling the cold sting of tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she tried her best to stay composed and not look like an even bigger fool than she already felt. “The one you went through hell and back for.” She said quietly, sounding unsure of herself and surprisingly vulnerable.

Max’s gaze morphed into a pained expression that Chloe couldn’t quite decipher. She felt Max begin to lift the hand that was still in her grasp again so she just closed her eyes and prepared to have it all erased. At least she’d be spared the humiliation, she thought. At least she tried.

But then she felt a warmth on her cheek, mixing with the few tears she’d let spill over. She opened her eyes and was met with that deep blue that she remembered could always wash away all her fears as a child. If that was the last thing she ever saw, she decided that would be good enough to last a lifetime.

“I’ll never take away another memory from you Chloe, I swear, and you’re still the same Chloe. What makes you say that?”

“I don’t know.” She bit her lip and shrugged. “Just reading about that week, watching it through your memories and seeing everything you and her went through. It makes me feel like I just fucked everything up ya know? I guess I’m kind of comparing myself to myself, if that makes any sense?” She said, looking away nervously.

Max moved her hand under Chloe’s chin and slowly pulled her face back up to hers with a serious look I her eyes.

“You might not have those memories, but you’re still the same Chloe. You’ve done nothing but be there for me through everything when you didn’t have to. Have I- have I made you feel that way?” She asked uncertainly.

“No, well, not intentionally I guess. The way you wrote about me and the way you describe me from back then just make me feel like I was a completely different person, like I’m just the version you got stuck with. I’m sorry, I know this probably sounds incredibly fucking stupid. I guess what I’m saying is I’m sorry you got stuck with _me_ instead.” It was a surreal experience comparing yourself to yourself and it was more frustrating since there was no tangible person to direct these insecurities at.

“Chloe, have you really been thinking about this all this time?” Max looked at her sadly. “I’m sorry if I made you feel that way. I guess I never really thought of it from that point of view, because to me, you’ve always just been Chloe Price. How I described you, is just how I’ve always seen you. Past and present.”

Chloe stayed silent for a moment, regretting letting her stupid insecurities get the better of her. She wished she hadn’t said anything. After all this time she finally realized her feelings and there was a chance Max might feel the same, why couldn’t she just let that be enough? Why didn’t she feel like enough?

_I’m gonna fuck this up before it even starts because I literally can’t get over myself._

Before she could work herself up any further Max broke the silence. “Talk to me, tell me what’s going on in that annoying brain of yours. I want to know what you’re feeling.” She gently coaxed.

Chloe bit her lip nervously, trying to gain the confidence to bring up the question she’d been mulling over for a while now. “I knew you and past me must’ve had some kind of thing going on from what I read in your journal, and from what you showed me from your memories obviously. When I eventually worked out how _I_ felt about you, I guess it just struck me as odd how you never really acted on it with _me,_ you know? I just sort of assumed that maybe… maybe I wasn’t the Chloe you wanted?”

Without warning, Max took Chloe’s face in her tiny hands and kissed her deeply. It was warm and reassuring and all but washed away every ounce of self doubt she’d been clinging to. When Max finally pulled back, she looked up at Chloe with the most earnest eyes she had ever seen. It made her feel more wanted and needed than she ever had before.

“You’re all that I’ve wanted since I woke up in that hospital Chloe. Just you, no one else.” She brushed Chloe’s hair out of her eyes. “I didn’t act on it because you didn’t know me anymore. I was just the shitty ex friend who showed up out of nowhere when you had just lost the most precious person in the world to you. I wasn’t going to force how I felt on you when I knew you didn’t feel the same. I also didn’t want you to feel like you owed it to me or decide to humor me out of pity or guilt. And if you really want to compare past versions of ourselves, you definitely got the short end of the stick with _this_ Max.” She chuckled depreciatingly. “I just wanted you to be happy, and I didn’t think I could give that to you with how broken I was. I still don’t.”

Chloe frowned at the self deprecating comment and pulled her in for a brief kiss. “You’re not broken. You’re Max. My Max, and that’s all I want.”

Max looked away shyly and cleared her throat. “Well, I’m glad we’ve both established that we want each other.”

Chloe smiled. “Hella glad.” She ran her fingers through Max’s soft hair and pulled her back in and captured her lips once more, this time Max meeting her halfway. She ran her tongue along her bottom lip, silently asking permission until Max finally granted access. She let out quiet little sounds that set Chloe’s chest on fire until they finally broke apart to come up for air. They stared in each others eyes as they tried to calm their breathing, looking for any doubts or regret. Finding none, Chloe was the first to break the silence.

“I thought you never backed down from a dare?” She laughed breathlessly and gave a shit eating grin.

Max giggled in disbelief. “It doesn’t matter what timeline I’m in, Chloe Price is always a cheater.”

Chloe smirked at that and pulled her closer. “I’ll take what I can get.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Could I have split this 8000 word chapter into two? Yes. Did I? Fuck no lol. I felt like it flowed better as one. 
> 
> Side note, Dead Man’s Cove is beautiful, look it up some time.


End file.
